An Old Role
by xStaticxTelevisionx
Summary: Alice, having been trapped in Wonderland after Blood and Elliot broke the vial, is forced to take her own role. Needless to say, she is not happy. T for safety. 'Tis complete! :3
1. Chapter 1

**So…I watched the Heart no Kuni movie on Youtube a while ago. What exactly happened afterwards, when Blood and Elliot broke the vial?**

**(The characters do not belong to me. They belong to Quinrose in this format.)**

/*\

There was no way she could've known that this would happen. It wasn't her fault, she wanted to go home, but the choice had been, even if not by her. They had no right, it wasn't fair, and if Joker was to be believed, it had been against the rules of the ever horrific Game that made this absurd world go round. Alice knew the moment it had happened. The second that Elliot had pulled the trigger of that gun, she'd realized. She hadn't lost the vial. It had been stolen.

The selfishness of the Mad Hatter could not be rivaled. He wanted her to remain in the Wonderworld, and he'd done everything possible to ensure it happened, but he would face no repercussions for it. Instead, the March Hare would endure the consequences. Technically, Blood hadn't been the one to break the vial. However, once the full story got out there, it was arguable that Elliot's mind had been tampered with. He didn't remember anything, and the dream walkers Nightmare and Prison Warden had verified it. The blame was placed on no one, and Alice was invariably trapped in this place that became darker and darker the longer she looked at it.

Once again, the Outsider had known the moment the vial had been destroyed. She could feel it in her gut that something was incredibly wrong. She ran to Blood's office, as that was the direction her instincts demanded she go, and the moment she burst through the door, she saw. She saw the crystalline droplets stream down the sides of the desk. She saw the prisms from the chips of broken glass, and she watched as the heart-shaped stopper dropped to the carpeted floor.

She had screamed, shocking the two men. She'd shouted and screeched that Blood would never be forgiven. He had trapped her in Wonderland, and he would pay dearly. Because of him she would never see her family and loved ones again. Once she'd tired herself out, she'd dashed to her room and locked the door, refusing to come out or to let anyone in. Even the servants were subjected to her wrath.

/*\

That night, when everyone was asleep but her, she looked in the mirror. She looked in it for hours, trying to remember who she was, and where she came from. She recalled faces, but only one had a name, _Lorina_. Where the rest of her memory was slowly depreciating she could remember her sister, as Lorina Liddell had been the only person anchoring Alice to her own dimension. Alice was drowning in her thoughts. She would never see Lorina again. Her family, her home, her everything was completely lost, never to be regained, and she could barely remember it. As she mused over the fate that had been decided for her, the law keeper of Wonderland, Joker, had appeared in the looking glass. She noted that this time, it was not the Jester, but rather the Warden. For the first time she felt scared, not because the warden himself was a source of fear for her, but because of the words he was using. He was not calling her names or yelling profanities, but rather speaking gently, as if not to frighten her. Petrified, she listened to him explain the rules of the Game. He told her that once the Foreigner had decided to remain in Wonderland – or in her case _trapped_ – he or she had to become more attached to it. She had to become a Role Holder.

/*\

Alice had many, many questions to which the Warden answered patiently. She asked what role she'd be assigned, and he shrugged, merely saying that she would take on one of the previously "dropped" roles. The universe decided these things, so he did not know. She asked if the transition would hurt. He said maybe. She asked if she'd remember anything of the place she grew up in. He did not answer.

/*\

When Joker vanished, Alice was hit by blinding pain. Well, he did say it could hurt. She felt as though her body was being ripped apart, muscle by muscle, tendon by tendon, and then reconstructed. When it was over, Alice noticed the blood. Her nails had grown, and done so too fast. Her nail bed was bleeding and the pain was dull through her panic. She felt something in her hair, and when she reached up to feel it, it almost felt like some sort of spiked crown. Her back felt a lot heavier too. Then she looked in the mirror, and promptly screamed.

/*\

When the residents of Hatter mansion woke that morning, they noticed something different. The house seemed…darker. As if some great evil had been unleashed in the middle of the night, and then promptly retracted the moment they woke up. The Role Holders had a more acute sense of the situation. They detected fear, despair, and unbridled rage. When Blood personally went to go check on Alice, he found her door slightly ajar. When he pushed it open, he was blasted by cold air. He saw that the window was nothing more than a few jagged pieces of glass in a frame. Then he noticed the ripped wallpaper, the smashed mirror, bloodied carpet, and ragged drapes, then a name – rather, a title – popped into his head. He stepped carefully away from the room, and told the servants to clean it up. The Hatter silently smiled at the fate he'd condemned his now unrequited love to.

/*\

_**Three Months Later**_

Alice endured the cold as if it was nothing. Ever since she took her role, the temperature seemed to have little to no effect on her. She couldn't feel the bitter wintery winds, nor could she feel the blistering summer heat. She touched the silver circlet on her head, recalling the emotions of that day. First she'd torn up her room, and then demolished the window in a childish fit. Afterwards, she made her way to the mountains behind the Amusement Park, and three months later, she was living in a wooden cabin that she'd built herself. So far, no one had come to seek her out, but then, she was pretty sure that not even Ace could get lost out here. She smirked to herself, wondering what he'd think of her now. The universe had been kind – at least as kind as it could be, and allowed her to keep her previous title of Foreigner as well. She wondered what the rebellious knight would think of a role holder who retained a heartbeat.

Unwilling to leave her chair, she curled her talon adorned fingers around her cup and sipped her tea, using her tail to throw another log into the fireplace. She didn't actually need the fire, but it reminded her of a time when things were far simpler for her, a time before her role, a time when she was not a dragon, a time when she was not the Jabberwocky.

/*\

**I wrote this in, like, twenty minutes. R&amp;R! :3**

**-Static**


	2. Chapter 2

**I did not expect to get very much feedback on this! Up until a few weeks ago, I hadn't written a single line for almost a year. This is me trying to get back into the writing groove you know? So thanks for the feedback (it is really important to me as well as is very helpful) and thank you so much for all the support! :3**

/*\

As a dragon, Alice thought her role would be simple. Fly around menacingly, breathe fire at houses, watch people run in terror, repeat; but that was not so. Her role was far more complex, and though she didn't completely understand it herself, she knew it entailed something far different. Much like the Red Queen of Hearts owned and ruled her respective territory, Alice held dominion over the mountains. She was what she liked to call an "influential" role holder. In other words, a role holder who had authority not only over the faceless, but other role holders as well. Interestingly enough, after three months, Pierce had decided to find her. She'd come across him shivering in the plaza of the main city in her "country", huddled in an alleyway taking shelter from the icy winds. At first he'd been scared, not wanting to let the dragon eat him, but once he'd realized that it was Alice, he'd calmed down some. She'd brought him back to her cabin and had him explain what was going on. He told her that he didn't want to wander around all alone for most of the year in Clover Forest, and then spend the remainder of it running away from the scary cat. He asked if he could work under her and live in the mountains as well, and the Jabberwocky had instantly agreed. Alice had always felt like Pierce needed security and protection, he was so timid. If she could provide that for him, she would.

It was about a week afterwards that she heard insistent knocking at her door. It was her rest period after working three straight time periods making the crops grow for her faceless citizens. Who was it, and what did they want? It was the Dormouse, with an invitation. She looked the little piece of paper over while her friend went and plopped himself in front of the fire. She glanced at him,

"Pierce, what is this?" She asked, she knew what it was, but the sheer terror she felt blocked her mind from functioning.

"It's an invitation! It's Gowland's turn to host an event, so he's throwing a party at the park." He told her, his one visible brown eye shining, that is until he noticed how dismayed she looked, "Hey, what's wrong chu?!" She immediately smiled,

"Nothing, I just kind of don't want to go." She said, Pierce tilted his head at her.

"The messenger told me that the Old Man really wants to see you, chu." Her lips twitched,

"Not like this…" She trailed off quietly. If it hadn't been for the fact that Pierce was a mouse and had excellent hearing, he wouldn't have heard her. None of the role holders, except for supposedly Blood, had known what she'd become. They didn't know she was the Jabberwocky, only that she'd taken one of the more "undesirable" roles. Her only interactions up until now had been via paperwork. She hadn't actually spoken with any of her friends face-to-face since that day, as she didn't have to do territory negotiations until it was her turn to host one of these required events. She could see it now, the looks of shock, fear, lightly hidden disgust. She could deal with those things from the faceless who lived in the main city with her, but from her friends? It would break her heart. Ultimately though, she had no choice. The Role Holders had to gather for these things, and she was no exception.

/*\

Alice and Pierce rode a carriage to the theme park. Alice was stressed, Pierce could see that. He wanted to ask if she was okay, and he didn't want to talk to her all at the same time. As much as Alice was kind to him and protected him, she was predator to his prey. Every instinct told him to run and hide and hope she didn't find him. He was able to rationalize the fear away most of the time, but he was still a mouse. He was still afraid, and he knew she knew that. He also knew that it killed her inside.

/*\

Once they arrived, Alice grabbed a length of thick, black cloth. At first he thought it was a blanket until she tied the string under her chin. It was a cloak, and it was long enough that it effectively hid both her wings and ridiculously long tail. She pulled the hood up and smiled, her sharp teeth glimmering in the faint firelight from the torches.

"Do I look okay?" She asked, Pierce's ears flattened,

"You don't need to do that…" he trailed off. She shrugged,

"Maybe not but…I don't think I'm comfortable facing them…quite yet." Her words were hesitant, but strong, and Pierce could understand. He knew how it felt to want to hide, especially in a cruel and unforgiving world such as this.

"Would you like me to stay with you, chu?" the Dormouse offered, catching the dragon by surprise.

"No! It's fine, you go have fun." Pierce weighed his options, but looking at the girls' face, it was clear that she would rather have company.

"But the scary cat is here!" How ironic, that a creature as fearsome as the Jabberwocky would need the protection and support of the mouse. She gave in, and stood at the edge of the woods, to the left of the stage where Gowland would speak. Her cloak allowed her to blend into the darkness perfectly, while Pierce was a little more noticeable, as he was hiding behind a bush.

"Are you sure Pierce? I intend to leave as soon as the speech is over." It was true; the Role Holders did not need to attend for the entirety of the night. They just had to stay long enough to listen to the host's welcoming speech, and then should they need to, anyone could leave. Though that was only if they had valid reason.

"Absolutely, I don't want to be caught unawares by that mangy cat, chu!" He almost growled, Alice laughed softly and pointed her gaze at the stage,

"Shh, Gowland's about to speak."

/*\

"Friends, enemies, and acquaintances!" A man's voice boomed from the stage, "Welcome to the Amusement Park on this fine day. Today is a day of festivities. Tonight, a night to bury old grudges. _Temporarily._" He shot a look at Blood. "Until the light of day returns, celebrate and be merry! For tonight, there is no such thing as animosity." Like Vivaldi before him, Gowland's speech was quite short, though much more enthusiastic.

Alice clapped politely with the others and mentally apologized to her friend for leaving so soon. She turned away when, suddenly,

"Alice, is that you?" the man in question inquired. The dragon-girl quietly sighed, and hesitantly turned,

"Hello Gowland," She said, not quite letting him see her face. He smiled, but the expression was soon replaced by one of confusion.

"Alice, my girl, why are you wearing that awful cape? It strikes me it will be very hard for you to dance and enjoy the party."

"I'm sorry Gowland, but I wasn't planning on sticking around. I've got a lot of things I need to do, right Pierce?" She shrugged apologetically, and turned to see that Pierce had, in fact, vanished. Where'd he go?! Gowland was having none of it,

"Well let me see your face at least…" She'd moved to stop him, but it was too late, he'd caught sight of the silver spikes under her hood, and realization dawned on him. He stepped back, "So that's the role you were given…" His voice trailed off, and there it was. That look of shock and horror she so desperately had wanted to avoid.

"I know, it's…it's bad…" She turned away, but the Park owner grabbed her arm,

"Is this why you haven't visited anyone?" She nodded, "That's ridiculous, come on, enjoy the party!"

"But Gowland!" She pulled back, "I'm–" She looked around to make sure no one could hear, and sure enough, the darkness and trees had set the two a fair ways away from the crowd. No one saw or heard a thing, but she still hissed quietly, "I'm a bloody _dragon_. Everyone will freak out! I'm…I'm scared." She finished, hanging her head low, Gowland let go of her arm.

"You're right, the Jabberwocky is feared, even more so than the Nightmare or Joker," her face fell, "However, other than Joker, I'm the only Role Holder who actually remembers the last Jabberwocky." He smiled kindly at her, "I'll respect that you don't want to reveal your role today, however you will have to interact with the others at some point. You have to hold the next event in six months." Her face paled,

"Wait, that's…the next one is my turn?" He nodded earnestly,

"Don't worry, I know that this is still pretty new for you. If you'd like, I'll help you, but for now…?" She shook her head,

"I don't…I don't want to talk to anyone. Besides, I may kill Blood, and if I remember correctly, that is a crime at one of these get-togethers." Her voice was dry and she was eager to leave. He shook his head,

"If you want I can try to get a shot in when this thing ends." He answered, laughing, then ruffled the top of her head, "Remember kid, as long as you're able to get some sleep and work consistently, this Role-Holder thing," he shrugged, "It's not that bad. No matter what role you're afforded." She smiled, thanked him for his advice, and went to look for Pierce when he burst through the bushes.

"I…hate…cats…" He panted, she smiled, and they escorted each other to the carriage, while the Cheshire Cat grumbled in frustration when he was forced to give up the chase and go back to the party.

/*\

**Welp, that wasn't as dark or emotion-driven as the last chapter, but I wanted to get some storyline in there. This was originally going to be a one-shot, but in just one day, I got four requests to continue. So I am. And let's face it, Alice as the Jabberwocky... I could do some interesting stuff with that. R&amp;R please! :3 **

**-Static**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, I think I have a better idea how to format this story (in terms of tone). Normally, I don't write dark things, I am very much more comedic and snarky than dark and suspenseful, but I shall persevere! I want to become a little more proficient in serious writing, and this is practice. Please let me know how I'm doing!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

In six more months, Alice had become much more accustomed to her new body. She was no longer tripping people with her tail, nor destroying shops and stalls with her sword-sharp wings. When she sneezed while working, she knew how to put out the resulting fire before any of the paperwork was irreparably destroyed. Alice was slowly adjusting to her new life, and she couldn't decide if this made her happy or if it infuriated her.

"I still don't understand how you're not cold, chu." Pierce told her, as he carried a few bags of groceries while they walked back towards her cabin. To an outside point of view, it was a reasonable bafflement. Alice had long since abandoned her blue tomboy dress. It had been demolished in her transformation, not having been built to accommodate her three new limbs. She'd stuck the poor thing in a trunk at the foot of her bed, and now had several long gowns, all but one her favored shade of blue. The backs were all completely open, the shoulders of the dresses connected by a strip of braided cloth behind her neck. She never had to bind her wings, and she could let her tail sit comfortably. Each of them had long, bell-shaped sleeves that hung just a little past her knuckles, and the dress fell down to her feet. Alice still held on to her old self however. She'd refused to abandon her striped stockings, which now hid under her skirts, and she wears her old hair ribbon tied around her wrist, as it would look a little funny with her crown. But yes, for all intents and purposes, she should have been very, very cold in the snow-covered mountains.

"Pierce, I've told you," she said, laughing, "I'm a dragon; I am immune to the harsh climate."

"Wish I had that, chu." He muttered, burying his face deeper into his scarf. Alice continued to smile as they stepped up to her door,

"Come in, I'll start a fire." And as Pierce made himself at home, she threw a few logs into her over-used fireplace and snapped her fingers. Alice could breathe fire, but she was also pyrokinetic, meaning she could set things on fire with just her thoughts. It was one of the few changes that had actually pleased the dragon woman. "Thanks for carrying all that stuff for me."

"Not a problem." She bustled around her tiny kitchen looking for a little extra space in her small pantry, and cursing when she could make things barely fit. "Should've built this place bigger." She muttered irritably, which caught the ear of the mouse.

"You know…" he said carefully, "If you need more space, why don't you just move into the tower?" Alice froze. Like the other major Role Holders, Alice had indeed inherited a place to live, a nice one at that. The Jabberwocky's Tower was constructed almost entirely of marble. The bedroom was huge, the kitchen a reasonable size and the bath had water so hot that she could actually _feel_ the warmth. All in all, it would seem a little ridiculous that Alice should choose to live in a tiny log cabin when she had such a home at her disposal. She shook her head,

"I put a lot of time and effort into this place; I'm not just going to abandon it." She said, deflecting the question. To tell the truth, the Jabberwocky Tower simply reminded her too much of the Clock Tower. It reminded her how much she missed living there and getting the Clockmaker cup after cup of coffee. It reminded her how different she was now. Though she might feel the difference on a strictly physical level, she was clearly perceived differently to the residents of Wonderland. Excluding the faceless who saw her everyday in the city and knew her well, they did not treat her kindly nor did they willingly speak to her. They were afraid of her, because to them, she looked scary. To be fair though, the Role Holders were a little more reasonable than the faceless, when it came to such things, but she still saw how they treated Nightmare and Joker. Gowland had told her that she ranked right up there with those two in terms of worldwide fear, higher in fact. _The position of the dragon is a lonely one._ She thought to herself, and then there was knocking on her door.

/*\

Gowland had shown up a week early to help her prepare her event. She'd already decided she would host a sort of festival in the plaza in front of "her" tower. There would be food and drink, and beautiful music. There would also be an assortment of shop stalls and games to entertain the guests. The mountains had been considered taboo for a good deal of time – since the death of the last Jabberwocky – meaning no one had been there for a while, so the people there had a lot to offer in terms of "new" things. She'd heard that in the Country of Hearts, people were very, very excited for Alice's festival. They were also eager to see which role she had taken.

Alice was understandably nervous. Gowland had been extremely kind in assisting her with the preparations, having left Boris in charge of the Amusement Park. He helped her decide where the lights should go, what stalls should go where, and how to organize it so that some Role Holders would not have to interact too much with others, should they not want to. She also had to cater to each one's individual preferences. Gowland helped her in getting Ace's favorite scotch, finding Elliot's favorite carrot cake, obtaining Julius's favorite coffee, etc. It was a complicated affair, but the thing that Alice was the most worried about, was her speech.

As was custom, the hosts of the events had to give an opening speech introducing whatever event they had pulled together. This meant that she would have to stand up on a stage and speak to every single Role Holder she knew as well as a _huge_ crowd of faceless. Gowland was giving her speaking exercises and helping her posture (she hated walking with bloody _books_ on her head.) The most valuable skill he gave her, though, was the skill of keeping a "poker face" in unpredictable conditions. He said that, yes, many of the faceless would be horrified looking upon her. Maybe even a few Role Holders too, but she could not flinch or let her face fall. She could not let them catch even the slightest hint of weakness, or she loses the proverbial game. (The real Game was much harder to fail.) She had to be careful of her behavior, and the way the Amusement Park owner had explained it to her had been this:

"The Jabberwocky is just like any other major role holder." The Duke had said, "You must keep your composure and let nothing bother you, at least not in public. You have become a powerful figure in Wonderland, not that you weren't before, but now? You have a territory under your control, where before you simply wandered from place to place. There are people under your influence, and you are their leader." It was only then she realized the severity of her previous behavior. She had kept up with her responsibilities as the dragon, but she hadn't realized that she was the _authority_ here nor had she known she needed to act like one. She'd thought that her role was to be a guardian, rather than a ruler. She had treated the citizens as her equals, and if she continued to do so, it would backfire horribly.

Gowland got her into the hang of giving orders. He'd brought over some of the workers from the Amusement Park to help her practice, but it felt so…foreign, so wrong. She'd grown up an aristocrat in London, so she'd had a lady's maid and was not unfamiliar with the idea of telling people what to do, but the way her family had treated their "servants" as opposed as to how she was supposed to interact with her people now, it was very, very different. Polite tones were an unnecessary courtesy. Friendliness would earn her strange looks; and the words "please" and "thank you"? Gowland would scold her if she dared to speak either one, making her walk thirty paces back and forth four times with more books on her head. She felt as if she was training to be a princess, rather than a dragon.

/*\

The day arrived and Alice was scared. She worried that her poker face wasn't good enough, or that her posture wasn't correct or that she'd break down on the stage. Gowland helped her pretty well with the nerves. She'd practiced her speech in front of a crowd of her own faceless citizens mixed with Amusement Park workers, who had all been more than happy to help. So far, she'd done everything flawlessly, but nevertheless, she was still terrified. She looked in the mirror, and half-heartedly tried one of Gowlands' self-affirmation exercises.

"I am fire. I am death!"_(1)_ She whisper-yelled at the reflection, and then blushed at how excruciatingly absurd it felt. It hadn't helped anything, and just made her feel embarrassed. Some of Gowland's suggestions just shouldn't be taken. She looked over her attire once more and told herself she looked fine. No stray hairs, no loose threads on her dress, and the scales on her wings and tail were sparkling like silver. As long as she kept a straight face, she would be terrifying, which was exactly she wanted to go for…at least according to the Duke, but unlike the self-affirmation exercise, this idea had value. If she was truly the leader of the mountain-people, she needed to be taken seriously. She couldn't afford to seem kind or dainty – all the things she had been expected to be for the first seventeen years of her life – she needed people to fear her, for if they didn't, her citizens would pay for it dearly.

Alice looked out the window of her tower – as she'd decided to hide there until it was time – and watched the crowd of people come in. There was the Heart Castle trio, Ace laughing at a scowling Peter while Vivaldi watched, unimpressed. There was Boris chasing Pierce, Nightmare and Gray watching the spectacle with Julius in tow, and then there was the Mafia.

Blood had brought an unusually small amount of people. It was him, Elliot, the Twins, and approximately 20 servants. At the other two events – yes, she'd been paying attention at Gowlands' dance as well – he'd bring at least 50, wishing to flaunt his power wherever he went. She had the sinking feeling that this did not bode well.

/*\

"Big sis is throwing a party brother!" a young voice exclaimed,

"And it's in the mountains brother! No one's been to the mountains in hundreds of years!" Another shouted back. And as the two children devolved into aimless chatter about how awesome 'big sis's' party was going to be, and how much they had missed her, a tall, rabbit-eared one man looked to his boss.

"Blood, are you sure about this? Someone could try something, and then say they worked for you. Are you sure you don't want to bring more servants?" The man in question smirked,

"Absolutely."

/*\

The twins shushed everyone around them as the two men on the stage called for attention. Oddly enough, Gowland was there, and so was Pierce, but no one could see Alice. The event was beginning, where was she?

"Where's big sis?" one twin hissed to the other,

"Could someone have kidnapped her?!" the other whispered, panicked,

"I guarantee you," Blood stated, "No one kidnapped her." And everyone fell silent.

A pillar of white-blue flame had appeared, and a small, feminine figure stood inside. When all eyes were pointed to the stage, a pair of large wings unfurled to their full expanse – which must have been at least fifteen feet – and as the fire faded, he saw that it was, indeed Alice. Where many gasped in shock and horror, the Mad Hatter only smiled.

Her quicksilver wings glinted sharply in the light of day, her spear-headed tail lashing back and forth across the stone stage, hissing ominously and creating sparks. She had traded out her childish blue dress for a long, form fitting white gown with patterns of silver embroidering embellishing every inch. The sleeves were so long they almost covered her hands, one of which clenched an ornamental silver staff. Her face wore a polite smile, but her slit-pupil eyes were dark. A silver crown shimmered on top of her head. It was made of woven silver, the design flowing into a point just between her eyebrows, and it spiked up over her head in the same manner that there might be spines decorating a dragon's skull. Her bangs had grown out, and like her crown, curled over her head, adding to the illusion of a dragon's mane. She appeared regal, holding her head high, eyes challenging anyone who might stand up to her, a queen in all but name. She truly was as terrifying as she was beautiful, and the message was conveyed clearly.

_I am to be respected and feared. Cross me, and die._

/*\

**Wow this chapter was _long_. I've been on a writing binge. I had a cool idea, wanted to write before I forgot it. I feel like it's evening out a bit. Turning Alice into a dragon and then trying to keep her in character is kicking my butt! (1) Oh and did you get the reference? Please tell me you did! That would make me so happy! R&amp;R! :3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, new chapter. Tomorrow there will be no new chapter, as I'm going to write a Valentine's Day thing instead, because, you know, why not?**

**-Static**

**/*\**

When Alice did her teleportation trick up to the stage, she was braced for it. She could hear the gasps, and even a couple screams, but she kept her face impassive. She glanced over the crowd as she showed of her draconic features, and gauged the reactions. The faceless were, as expected, quite horrified. As for the Role Holders, Peter looked as though he was about to puke, Vivaldi looked perturbed, and Boris's jaw had dropped to the ground. Gray had just raised his eyebrows, Nightmare was hiding behind Gray looking dismayed, and the only way to describe Julius's face was 'taken aback'. The twins were awestruck (which made her feel a little better), Elliot looked confused, and Blood and Ace? She'd never seen either man smile at her that way. She didn't like it one bit, but it gave her voice a steely edge that actually made her speech sound quite good.

"Residents of Wonderland," Her voice boomed over the crowd, "It has been approximately two hundred and thirty-six years since any of you have stepped foot into the mountain territory, and it is my honor to welcome you back." She paused, something felt off. Really off. Her instincts screamed at her that something was wrong, and forced her to raise her fist up at the exact same time a gun fired. The entire crowd had frozen, and Alice looked at the object clutched in her left hand. It was a bullet. For a moment she looked at it as if to say _How'd I do that?_ The expression soon left her face however, and a loud sound reverberated throughout the plaza. The Jabberwocky was growling. "Do you honestly think a gun can kill a dragon?" She asked just loud enough for the people to hear her, a dangerous undertone in her voice. She pointed a glare at a particular spot in the trees and nodded at Pierce as if to say, _Take care of it._ His ears flattened a little, most likely in fear, and stepped away, muttering orders to a few faceless.

"Now where was I?" she asked no one, and smiled once again. Pierce soundlessly returned to the stage, and it was as if nothing had happened. "For this one night, tensions shall be buried, and grudges forgotten, for that is the decree of the Jabberwocky!" With that last word, Alice stomped the butt of her staff on the ground, and the time changed from high noon, to midnight. There were no lights, and the people could barely see the dragon pass her staff off to the Dormouse. They were about to complain when they saw something lighting up the woman's face. Alice had breathed fire into her hands, and with a girlish smile – a face reminiscent of when she was nothing more than the Foreigner – she cupped her hands around the fire, bent down, and then jumped up, releasing the flame into the air. It floated idly for a moment, and then broke into hundreds upon hundreds of sparks, zig-zagging around the plaza endlessly over everyone's heads. Babies laughed delightedly, and young children smiled in wonder, and it created the perfect amount of light for everyone to see. "Please enjoy yourselves," her voice rang out once more, "For tonight, we are all friends!" And then she gripped the side of her skirt and twirled, flames once more engulfing her body, and when they died down, she was gone.

/*\

"I want to know who shot, and until the night is over, I want them thrown into the dungeon of the tower!" Gowland snarled at several faceless. Alice had started to protest when, "And don't you dare retract the order." The Duke faced Alice, and then more gently, "I know that the idea of harming others upsets you, but you cannot allow your authority to be undermined. On the stage you handled it beautifully, but that act needs to become _real_. Do you understand?" Alice was going to shoot back with something along the lines of _violence is not the answer_, but then it occurred to her that he was right. Maybe that was how things were in her home world, but Wonderland was a dark, dark place; far darker than it appeared. She had a better understanding of things now, and she couldn't protest at all.

She stood there, in a darker corner of the woods, with Gowland, opening and closing her mouth like a dying fish. She wanted to say something, anything, find any excuse not to hurt the people who had tried to end her life. She did not want to kill whoever it had been, but she knew the Duke was right. Things were too different here. Her way would never work. Finally she closed her mouth, and a single tear streamed down her face. The Amusement Park owner patted her shoulder, and walked away.

/*\

She didn't know how long she stood out there at the edge of the woods, thinking about what had happened. Gowland was going to kill the faceless that had tried to hurt her. A part of her said to let him; it was her right to protect herself from someone who tried to kill her. Another part asked if the death penalty was truly necessary. The two sides argued until she was broken out of her reverie.

"Big sis!" a voice crowed,

"Show us your wings sis!" its twin begged,

"Yeah, show us your wings! They look sharp!"

"Pleeeeease?" They sang together. Alice smiled,

"Well hello to you too." She giggled, "Sure, but be careful, they're sharp. I don't want you hurting yourselves." She smiled. She kneeled down, and carefully extended her left wing, letting the Bloody Twins poke and prod at it until one of them cried out in pain. She looked at Dum, holding a bloody finger, and sighed, "Didn't I tell you to be careful?" she scolded, standing up and folding her wing into her back once more as Dee pulled out a small bandage from his coat.

"Sorry sis." He apologized, Dee tying the knot in the gauze.

"Your wings are really cool!" Dee exclaimed, "And shiny." He added, Alice smiled.

"Yeah, and I work hard to keep them that way, so don't get them dirty!" she teased, "Anyways, why aren't you at the party? I set up stalls especially for you two, you know!"

"We know, but we wanted to see you!" Dum stated, "It's been a really long time." He stared at his feet, dejected. Alice sighed,

"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you, but you understand why I couldn't, right?" The two nodded,

"Yeah, you were busy with all your new work." Dee sulked,

"And you were mad at the boss…" Dum muttered, Alice froze,

"How do you know that?" She asked. Dee smacked Dum upside the head,

"You weren't supposed to let that slip!" He growled,

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I forgot!" Dum defended,

"Answer me." Alice interrupted, upset. She hadn't wanted to cause the twins any stress.

"Well…" Dum started,

"We heard you screaming at Boss that night." Dee finished softly, "We heard you tell him that you hated him, and that you would kill him."

"We know sis doesn't like killing, so we figured you must've been really mad." Dum added. Alice sighed,

"Yes. I was and still am…quite displeased with Blood." She said, trying to think of a good way to word it, "It was because of him that I could never see my family again. _But that has nothing to do with you two._" But the twins had been distracted.

"But we're your family!" They stated in unison. Alice shook her head, smiling,

"You didn't let me finish. I wanted to go home so that I could see my sister again." The twins still looked troubled and confused. She sighed in frustration, why couldn't they get it? But then a thought struck her mind. "Dee, would you be sad if Dum died? If you knew inside yourself that you would never see him again." Both twins looked at her a little oddly, clearly uncomfortable.

"It would break my clock…" he answered hesitantly,

"Then you know how I feel. My sister and I were just as close as the two of you, and because of your boss, I will never see her again. That's why I'm so mad." She explained gently, and the twins understood. To be separated from one another would be like losing a limb, and the Boss-man had done that to big sis and _her_ big sis. Suddenly, they could comprehend why she would be so upset. They nodded to her solemnly, and she ruffled both boys' hair.

"Now enough of the sad stuff," She said, "This is supposed to be a _happy_ event. Go have fun," she pushed them out of the bushes, "Go play at the stalls and eat some cake."

"Aren't you coming with us?" they asked in unison, Alice shook her head,

"I think I scare the faceless a little too much. Don't worry about it, and don't let anyone know I'm here!" She placed an index finger on her lips and winked at them. They didn't look happy about it, but they nodded in agreement. They knew that arguing with Alice would get them nowhere. She was the most stubborn person they'd ever met. Exempting the boss of course.

/*\

"I can only describe the look on your face as 'wistful'. Do they remind you of someone?" Alice had known Ace was there the moment she'd sent the twins on their way.

"More like they make me wonder…" She trailed off,

"Wonder what?" The knight asked innocently. His cheerful tone of voice would have fooled anyone else, but it was clear that he wanted an answer. Why? Who knew? Alice had stopped trying to figure him out a while ago. She decided she'd humor him.

"They make me wonder what mine would have looked like." She could almost taste the man's curiosity,

"Yours?"

"Children. In my world, it was expected that my father would marry me off to a man of decent stature, and I would manage the house and have children, then get old and die." She elaborated, "There was always a huge emphasis on children, so I wondered about it. But it no longer matters. I will never have any. So why are you here? I thought you'd be out drinking." She finished dryly, Ace laughed,

"Yeah, but then I noticed the twins racing off into the woods, and figured they'd found you. After that awesome speech, I kind of wanted to see you too. Even I can't catch bullets." He grinned, "The wings look great by the way." Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks, they're a little inconvenient, but thanks." She giggled,

"So, how's it feel to be one of us now?" He asked, suddenly serious. She shrugged,

"Well, in terms of paperwork, it's not that different from when I had my job at Clover Tower…" She started off. When Ace raised an eyebrow, she sighed, "It's…odd. It's like I have a basic understanding of the Rules, but then all of a sudden, they're completely different. It's up to me to interpret what my place in this world is, but then everything has to be a certain way. As cool as some parts are, like changing the time of day, or all my new superpowers, it's confusing." And that was truly the only way she could think to sum it up. Ace laughed humorously,

"You're starting to understand." She looked at him, dismayed,

"You mean there's more?" She asked flatly, he smiled, and for the first time ever, she felt it was genuine.

"There's so much more." He answered, "But don't worry. Unlike most of us, you have an advantage. You're on friendly terms with all – well, _almost _– all the Role Holders in Wonderland." His eyes glinted mischievously. Though it was quite clear that Alice was now much stronger than the knight, and would have a real chance surviving a fight with him, he still unnerved her. "You'll have help. In fact, didn't the Amusement Park owner help you throw this little party together?" He mused,

"Does that include you?" She asked, ignoring his last couple of sentences. Had the knight possessed animal ears, they'd have perked at her voice.

"Does what include me?"

"Help. Will you help me as well?" And the smile she got for that, well, she realized too late that she'd fallen into a trap.

"Depends. What will I get out of it?" He hummed, reaching up to swipe at a stray hair on her face. Immediately, the tip of her tail was at his neck, its side just as sharp as the sword Ace so casually wielded.

"_Do. Not. Touch. Me._" She hissed. _She is poised to kill me for merely trying to touch her face? Nice._ Ace was more intrigued by the former Outsider than ever. His fingertips hadn't even made contact with her skin, and she was already fighting back.

"Alice, could it be…that I scare you?" he asked,

"You used to." She answered. She did not like the look she got for that one.

**/*\**

**So as you all might have noticed, Alice doesn't have a weapon like most of the other Role Holders. This is because she uses her wings and tail. Her wings – as demonstrated above – are very sharp, and so it would be effortless for her to do some critical damage should she feel like it. As for her tail…I imagine her using it a little like a xenomorph, hehe (any other Alien fans out there?). Anyways, catch you later!**

**-Static**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know, I know, I said no new chapter, but I had a brainwave. A really cool brainwave. It's not very Valentine's-ish, but a little bit of animosity never hurt anybody. :3**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Ace appeared exceedingly displeased. He wanted her to be scared, he wanted her to shrink away in fear, and she knew that. Ace needed a different angle, and he had an idea. He stepped forward, letting the tip of her tail press dangerously close against his neck.

"Did you forget, princess, it's against the rules to kill someone at one of these parties." He said deceptively sweetly. He could see the hesitation on her face, but it soon leveled out into a stony gaze. For a moment, Alice had thought about backing away, but then Gowland's ultimatum came to mind. She might still have a heart instead of a clock, but she was no longer the Foreigner. Alice had a role to play in the Game, and it did not include allowing the men to push her around as they had before. She was their equal, higher in stature in fact. Alice _was capable of fighting back_, and she found the idea strangely appealing. In terms of rank Alice was higher up than Ace, and the dragon, her role, told her to remind him of that. She refused to let him push her into a corner, and for the first time since she'd become the Jabberwocky, she decided to allow her more volatile instincts to take over.

"Yes, it's against the rules to _kill_." She replied, equally softly. Alice felt as though she was losing herself. In her mind, she didn't want to fight with Ace. She wanted to talk it through with him, rather than immediately resort to violence, but every fiber in her body itched to take this moron down. She was the Jabberwocky, and no one threatened the Jabberwocky. Her tail curled around his neck, and before he could reach for his sword, she threw him ten feet away into the ground. He yelled out, surprised, and drew his sword. He could hear people approaching.

"I thought you didn't like fighting." He laughed, lunging at her. She danced away, and used her left wing to shield herself from the next blow. Her scales were strong; his sword wouldn't cut through, but _ow_. She was definitely going to have bruises.

"In case you haven't noticed," she said as he withdrew, "I've changed quite a bit." And it was her turn to lash out. She flicked her tail, intending to stab his sword arm, but he was good. He dodged effortlessly, though she managed to nick his hand.

"Oh wow," he said, staring at the cut, "You actually got me." Being an inexperienced fighter, she didn't realize that his distraction was a farce. As expected, she tried to take advantage. She ran up to him, hoping to get closer so that she might aim with her tail better, and he brought his sword up, intending to catch her shoulder. He missed, but a long gash on her face remained to console him. The dragon woman backed away, snarled, and flared her right wing out. Ace hadn't realized that the silver limbs were weapons as well. Thinking she only intended to push him away, he braced for impact, but then he felt something wet seep through his uniform. He stumbled back, watching as blood dripped from the edge of her wing. He examined the wound and came to the conclusion that he could not continue his assault. The cut was both too long and deep, if he kept going, he'd die of blood loss. He glared at her through half-lidded eyes, and she glared right back.

Ace had never been defeated in a fight before. He'd won against countless faceless, all the Role Holders, and he had earned the title of most feared man in Wonderland. Now here he was, clutching his bleeding chest, kneeling before a naïve teenage girl who was half his size. She'd had to talk him out of murdering her just one year ago because she would've never won, not like this, and now she had him completely at her mercy. Needless to say, Ace was not happy. Using her tail once more, Alice wound it around his ankle, and threw him into a tree. He was still reeling from the shock when he felt her fingers grab on tightly to his neck. Only then did Alice realize there were spectators. The twins were grinning excitedly. Elliot's ears were flattened to his head. Vivaldi was quietly laughing behind her fan, and the faceless appeared terrified. They'd never heard of the Knave of Hearts losing a battle to anyone.

Alice tightened her fingers imperceptibly, just barely cutting into the man's skin with her claws. "Learn your place, knave. I'm no longer a silly little girl who needs protecting. Test me again, and you will die." She growled, and let him drop to the ground. "Patch him up." She called out to her faceless servants, "I can't have him dying, at least not until the time changes." She faintly heard Ace laugh as she walked away.

As much as he was both infuriated and humiliated, he was also quite entertained. He'd never lost before, not even when he was just learning how to use a sword. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe the Foreigner could still provide a bit of fun. He decided he'd pay her a visit after the festival was over.

/*\

Alice was having an awful night. These events were supposed to be fun, people were supposed to be enjoying the festivities, not challenging the bloody host! She sighed; Ace had always been a rather unstable individual. At Vivaldi's ball he'd pulled a stunt where he made Alice stand on a chandelier a good fifty feet above the floor, and that had been at a time when she could not fly. He wasn't afraid to provoke the people around him, even if it might not be the place or time. She touched her face and winced. With her newfound healing, she didn't think she'd have a scar, but the cut still hurt, and so did her wing.

She'd vanished before the faceless could attend to her. She'd much rather fix up her wounds herself, and she did exactly that. She'd left all sight and teleported up to the Tower. It was close enough that she could still oversee the party, but without having to deal with idiots who want to pick fights with dragons. She pressed some salve into the injury and taped a strip of gauze over it. Next up was her wing. There wasn't much she could do for it in terms of bandages. However she found something called a numbing agent. She figured it was worth a try. She spread it over her scales, and the aching slowly went away. Exhaling, Alice went to sit at her window. The tower was high above the ground, and the magical dragon's fire zipping around like sparklers meant the party goers couldn't see above them very well. She sat in the windowsill, the thin wall pressing comfortably between her wings. She let her tail fall down outside of the building, and flicked the end back and forth as she watched.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there when she noticed someone approaching the tower. It was the Clockmaker, and it looked as though he intended to ascend the hundreds of stairs leading up to her room.

/*\

When Julius arrived at the door to the tower's living space, he could faintly smell coffee. He wasn't surprised. Having become something a little less human, Alice would know when someone was approaching. He knocked on the door, and entered when a voiced called for him to come in. She was leaning against the edge of the window, sipping a cup of coffee, with a second cup steaming on the other end of the sill. She turned slightly, and smiled in welcome. He walked up beside her, and grabbed the cup, the heat a welcome reprieve from the cold.

"Well?" She asked. The Clockmaker almost looked confused, "How many points?" She elaborated, and he blinked. He almost looked...wary.

"Eighty-four." He decided, and the Jabberwocky sighed,

"Darn, I thought I'd gotten better." She giggled, and turned to him. "So how's work?" She asked,

"Same as ever, Ace keeps bringing too many–" He stopped abruptly, "What happened to your face?!" she shrugged,

"Your wayward employee doesn't know when to back down." She answered, taking a drink, "I think he was still under the illusion that I'm a small, dainty girl to be easily intimidated." She rolled her eyes. Julius raised an eyebrow,

"You were never one to be intimidated." She laughed, almost sadly,

"You never tried to use physical force." She looked up at him, "I always appreciated that you know." She stated softly, "The fact that you were determined to let me make up my own mind about things, and never tried to make me think your way."

"…It was not my right or desire to do so."

"If only more people shared that thought." She glared down at the party-goers, "Anyways, what do you think?"

"Of?"

"The role I took. No one will tell me much about it, but I do know that I'm the first Jabberwocky in over two hundred years. I also know that the previous one was quite the 'bad guy'. I scare them all so much, because of something someone else did long before I was born." Julius was quiet for a moment.

"I think you've become what you've become for a reason. You have a purpose to fulfill for this and many upcoming games. I also think that they will fear you until they know you, and even then, that fear will never really dissipate, because you're a dragon."

"Kind of like how people dislike you because you're the Clockmaker?" He nodded,

"They fear your role, not you."

"And if I become my role?" She could taste her friend's confusion, "During that fight with Ace, there was a part of me that truly wanted to kill him. Had it not been against the rules, he might have died, and I would've been perfectly okay with it." She looked at him, "Is that a thing that can happen? Can your role influence who you are? Who you become?"

"Of course. Mine turned me into, as you say, 'a workaholic'. The death rate here is very high, so a procrastinator, or someone who 'does their work reasonably'," If looks could kill, Alice would have keeled over right then and there, "Won't be able to get the job done in a timely fashion. Many roles depend on your persona, and so yes, once a particular trait is needed to fulfill your role, you won't be able to suppress it. For instance, Ace. It is not in your nature to be violent, but you wanted to fight him, you wanted to show him and your people your authority. Your role is – in part – to be powerful, so you will resent those who undermine you. There's nothing to be done about it." He explained, sipping more coffee. Alice thought over his words. Yes it was true, she wasn't a violent person, but should more instances like the one with Ace showed up…

"How far do the changes extend?" She asked. Julius shrugged,

"Who knows?" And they spent the rest of the night sipping coffee and discussing safer topics.

/*\

The time of day changed all too soon for the Bloody Twins. They were disappointed to see so little of their big sister, but watching her beat the Hell out of the Knave of Hearts? That had been totally worth it. The twins didn't really have anything personal against the guy, but it was fun to watch big sis fight! She was tough, really tough! They wondered if there was anyone in Wonderland who could beat her now. Even the blond chickie-rabbit couldn't defeat Ace. Did that mean he'd lose in a fight against big sis?

"Guys, come on! We gotta go!" Elliot yelled,

"But we wanna say goodbye to big sis!" Dum protested,

"Yeah, it's been so long since we've seen her! And besides, wouldn't it be impolite if we just left without saying anything?" Dee intervened. Their mother didn't raise fools. They knew their manners. Granted they saved them for just big sis, but they had them. The March Hare definitely wanted to retaliate, but he sighed.

"Fine, we'll wait for her to come down, and then you can say goodbye." He gave in. It was a good fifteen minutes before Alice showed back up. The twins raced up to her, saying how awesome she was and how cool it had been to watch her beat up Ace. She smiled for them and gave them hugs.

"Hey guys," she said, calling them back over. "This may seem a little ridiculous, but thank you." Both twins looked confused,

"For what?" They asked in unison,

"Well, a lot of people here today were petrified to look at me. I scare them, and as a Role Holder, I know that's a good thing, but I didn't want any of my friends to look at me differently. So far, you're the only two who don't. So thank you." Then she ruffled their hair, and sent them on their way.

/*\

Elliot noticed that the twins were oddly quiet on the way home.

"Are you two plotting to blow up the bathrooms again?"

"What? Of course not!" Dum exclaimed, offended, while Dee looked up at him with troubled eyes,

"Elliot?" He asked; the not-rabbit's ears perked. It was exceedingly rare for either sibling to call him anything other than 'dumb chickie-rabbit', so he knew that this was serious.

"Yeah?" He asked uneasily,

"Does big sis scare you?" Dee asked the loaded question of all loaded questions with all the innocence of a child. The hare hesitated. Yes, Alice scared the crap out of him, but he didn't want to let these two know that.

"She does, doesn't she?" Dum inquired. He forgot how perceptive the little brats were. He sighed,

"Yes, Alice scares me, however," he stated, "The two of you are human, I'm not, and neither is Alice anymore. There is a piece of me that fears her because she's a dragon. According to the laws of nature, I'm lower down on the food chain than she is, so yes, the fear is there, but as a person?" He continued, "No. Alice doesn't scare me. She is the same as she was before."

"But didn't you see what she did to Ace?!" Dum exclaimed, "Big sis would've never done that before she became a dragon!"

"Before, Alice didn't control territory. She didn't have people looking to her for leadership and guidance. She can't afford to come off as weak." A new voice spoke. All three looked to see Blood.

"Boss!" The twins exclaimed, "Does big sis scare you?" They asked in unison. The Mafia boss chuckled,

"Yes. She scares me to the point that I want to run away and hide." The twins mulled over that for a bit. They couldn't tell if the Boss was serious, or if he was teasing. He laughed at their bemused faces. "Not as much as she scares Elliot, to be sure." He elaborated, "Why do you ask?"

"Well it was something big sis said before we left," Dee started,

"She said she didn't want any of her friends to be afraid of her or look at her any differently from before. Though I suppose she doesn't really see you as a friend anymore…." Dum trailed off. Dee whirled on his brother,

"ALL THE THINGS WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY!" He yelled at his twin. Dum took a defensive stance when Blood placed a hand on one of each boy's shoulders.

"What do you mean she doesn't view me as a friend?" He inquired softly. Dee pushed Dum forward,

"You slipped, you tell him." Dee muttered. Dum looked a little scared, gulped, and started speaking,

"Well we were talking to sis," He started slowly, "And we asked her why she hadn't come to see us." He paused,

"Go on." Blood prompted gently,

"She said she had lots of work and stuff, but also she didn't want to see you." He mustered up all his courage to look the boss in the eye.

"Did she say why she didn't want to see me?" He asked, deceptively calm,

"She said she was still really mad at you. She said that it was because of you she'd never see her family again." Dum stated quietly, a little afraid; the trio could practically see the gears moving in Blood's brain.

"So she wants to see her family, eh?" and no one could repress the shiver down their spines upon looking at the expression adorning Bloods face. Something was going to happen. Something very, very bad.

**/*\**

**Drama! I thought it would be interesting to see how Ace might handle losing a fight, seeing as he's the best warrior in all of Wonderland. Meh, the dude needs someone to take him down a notch or two. Needless to say, his interest has been piqued. R&amp;R! :D**

**-Static**


	6. Chapter 6

**Time for Doom and Drama? Time for Doom and Drama. Bwahaha.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice loved taking baths in the tower. She still refused to live there of course, but she didn't mind using the bathroom. It was one of the few times she ever felt physical warmth. The water was practically boiling, and had she still been human, it would've melted her skin off. Now, it felt just a tad less than her preferred temperature, but it was still comfortable. That was definitely a regret Alice had, no more hot baths. There was a place to start a fire underneath the swimming-pool sized tub, and it kept the water boiling, but Alice had already spent nearly an hour in there. She petulantly blew a few bubbles in the water, and hopped out. She wrapped a towel around her body, and let her tail rest on the side of the tub until she was done drying off. Once she managed to shake the water off her scales, she grabbed her clothes and got dressed.

The dragon put on her favored pair of black boots, and adorned a white cloak. Her crown rested comfortably on her head. She left through the front door and made to return to her cabin in the forest. No one had noticed when she slipped off the trail into the snow-covered trees. Soon enough, a figure clad in red came into view. He was leaning against a tree, and she caught a glimpse of bandages under his jacket. She suspected that he did not see her yet, as she was better-dressed for blending into the snow. Quietly, she crept up on his left.

"You wanted to see me?" She questioned. Ace's gaze pointed down at her, unsurprised. One of the rules of the Game was that no Role Holder could refuse a challenge from another, even if the challenger was lower down in the hierarchy of power. After the festival had ended, Ace had requested one such confrontation. He said he wanted a rematch, and to meet him at a particular spot in the woods in several time periods. She was a little confused – he wouldn't be better by then – but she could not refuse.

"I did." Was all he said,

"It strikes me that asking for a fight in your condition isn't exactly wise. Why didn't you choose to save this rendezvous for when you got better?"

"I'm not here to fight." He stated, "If I were to challenge you again in such a way, it would create a conflict between you and Her Majesty." Alice raised an eyebrow, so he'd lied? It wasn't against the rules, but it was frowned upon. Alice should have at least partially expected this.

"You've never been one to care for such things." He shrugged,

"I care when I think I can get something out of it. You are the only person who can match up to me in a fight. People fear you just as much as they fear me. I feel like we would have a lot to talk about."

"Why me?" He remained quiet, "In terms of fear I'm equivalent to Nightmare and Joker, as well as you. Why not make this request of them?"

"Because they're boring." Was his answer, Alice opened her mouth to speak, but he continued, "They're both content in their roles, giving in to every single one of their impulses that allows them to fulfill their purposes. You retaliate." His amused eyes glanced back down at her, "Just like me, even if you might not know it yet."

/*\

Vivaldi normally didn't concern herself with others. The Queen ruled her kingdom, spat out orders, and had irritating servants beheaded. However, the first time the Queen had laid eyes on the Outsider, she found herself caring for someone other than herself, or her ridiculous oaf of a baby brother. She'd grown close to the innocent girl, and had even gotten to meet with both her and her sibling in the secret rose garden behind Hatter Mansion on multiple occasions. Those times were some of the most treasured in her life, and because of her brother, she would never have one such experience again.

Blood had never made a bigger mistake. Alice had been seriously considering remaining in Wonderland of her own volition. She'd spoken with the Queen herself about it. She said that maybe the loss of the vial was a sign, and maybe she would let it stay lost. Alice had been leaning towards the idea of abandoning her other world, and after Blood had destroyed the vial, she hadn't wanted to return more.

The Hatter had been making headway with Alice. The interactions between the two had been stabilizing. She was no longer running away, she'd allow him to hold her hand, she even moved into the mansion. She spent time in Blood's office reading to keep him company while he worked. For all intents and purposes, stealing the vial had been a good _short-term_ plan. Everything was going perfectly, and Vivaldi was almost to a point in her life when she would be able to spend time with the only two people she liked in perfect peace. She had anticipated the time when the three could simply sit at the small table in the garden and sip tea, and talk about nothing, enjoying the peace. Now, that would never happen. Alice blamed Blood for the role that had been forced upon her, and rightfully so. Vivaldi would have killed an army to have been able to choose, and she'd been so very happy that someone she cared about had that choice. According to the rules of the Game, Alice would have been informed of the consequences of staying just before the vial got full. She would have been able to choose the role she took, and she'd have been allowed to keep her Foreigner status, not having to bend to the rules as much as the rest of them. All in all, remaining in Wonderland would have had few costs for the Outsider.

Alice hated Blood now more than ever. She wouldn't interact with him if she could help it. She had spoken with the Queen on the matter during territory negotiations, and Alice had said that if Vivaldi wanted an alliance against the Hatters, she'd have it. In other words, _I am not ready to forgive your brother. _Vivaldi hadn't wanted much, just that her loved ones could coexist with one another, and the Mafia Boss had ruined _everything._ Several time periods after Alice's festival, she had stormed into the secret garden and let loose on her brother.

"How could you have done this?!" Vivaldi had been furious enough when that wave of energy had rolled over the country. When Alice had been forced into her role, all of her fellow Role Holders could sense it. They could taste the confusion, despair and rage. They knew that her newfound place hadn't been taken by choice. They knew that she'd become powerful, but they didn't know exactly what her power might entail with all her raw emotions running rampant. Vivaldi knew instinctively that Blood had been to blame, and the idea had been reinforced upon attending his trial at the circus. She'd managed to reign in her anger, but after seeing Alice at the festival in the mountains, gazing upon the silver scales adorning her body, the Queen could understand Alice's rage. Still she was able to contain herself, but after her most recent conversation with the one she'd come to consider as a sort of younger sister, she could not stay quiet.

"I couldn't risk her leaving!" He'd yelled back at the Queen, "I know she was considering staying, but she was still looking for it! She still wanted to go home! And wasn't it you who told me to do everything in my power to ensure she stayed here?!"

"We told you to ensure she _wanted_ to stay here!"

"Isn't it the same thing?"

"Of course not! To be someplace, some_thing_ of your own free will is far, _far_ different to having your fate chosen for you, something that you and I of all people should know!" Blood remained silent. For his sister to speak about herself in the singular, well, he knew better than to continue provoking her.

"I…" He trailed off, not knowing how to respond,

"She is now a _dragon_ Blood. She thinks herself a _monster_." The Queen said softly. Right before the Queen stormed into the garden, she and Alice had met for tea in the Jabberwocky's Tower. Technically the dragon was a neutral force, and so could be friends with whomever she pleased. In the privacy of her rooms, she had spoken to the Queen of personal things. "I've just come here from a conversation with her in fact, and do you know what she told me?" still the Hatter would not speak, "She told me she found herself so hideous after the initial transformation that she tried to cut her wings off. She said that once she'd realized what sorts of tasks she might have to perform for her role, she tried to kill herself. It took her this entire year to start becoming at peace with her role." Vivaldi shook her head, "This is what you did this to her brother, and I don't know if you'll be able to fix it. I can try and persuade her not to look on you too harshly, but ultimately, it is in your hands." For the first time since she'd become the Queen of Hearts, Vivaldi spoke more than one sentence in terms of "I" not "We". Blood knew that his sister was on his side, she always was, but it had been a long, long time since he'd angered her that much. He wanted to reveal what the twins had told him, what his plan was, but in the manner of all younger siblings, Blood feared his elder sister. He would not be able to explain to her his thoughts right now, for she would only get even angrier.

/*\

When Blood returned to his office, he hung his hat up on his coat rack, sat down, and promptly slammed his face into his desk. He hadn't expected his sister to be such a raging mess. She hadn't stomped into the garden like that when Alice first transformed. She hadn't told him she was upset over it. She hadn't even spoken a word on the subject until today!

He sighed into the wood beneath his face and sat up. He took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down. He unlocked the secret drawer on his desk and took out the plans. Various snippets of information taken from a countless number of sources, all packed into approximately twenty pieces of paper. In theory, the plot he wanted to put into play could bear success. However, no Role Holder had ever tried to bend the rules this far back. Many had told him that this would be impossible, and that he was mad to attempt it. Well fine, he was the Mad Hatter, he could very well try something he'd be called 'mad' for.

This would be by far the most challenging project he'd ever undertaken. Not only would it infuriate the woman he desired, but it would make her true colors appear. She would be forced to speak with him, and she would have to work together with him in order to reverse the effects. She would be uncomfortable and the situation would be very awkward, for her anyways. It might even make her a little bit happy, to see what he intended to do.

There was knocking on the door and Blood swiftly hid the documents away. He locked the drawer and placed the key back into his pocket. He leaned back in his chair and asked who it was and what they wanted. It was Elliot. Blood told his second-in-command to come in, and the door opened ever-so slightly.

"Boss?" He poked his head through. "The Nightmare's here to see you."

Blood grinned.

**/*\**

**I want to try and give as many Role-Holders a part in this story as possible. R&amp;R! :3**

**-Static**


	7. Chapter 7

**I need to stop updating every day. It's probably bad for my health. Doubly so for my writing. :\**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Ace had desired companionship. He wanted someone he could talk to about his anger, his murderous tendencies, and everything else without being lectured on the importance of Roles. He wanted to talk to someone who he would be unable to kill should he snap, because good confidantes were hard to find. Alice had become his outlet, his sounding board, and they met once every week (she had measured the average amount of time in each time period, and always converted it to the units belonging to her home-world). And he would talk to her about his troubles, and when he started getting violent, she'd put him back in his place, and they'd repeat the process. Theirs was an unconventional friendship, but she soon realized that he took comfort in her presence. He didn't have to pretend to be happy for her, he could allow himself to relax, and when he would smile, she knew it was genuine.

After the first several weeks, he stopped talking about how much he hated Wonderland, and he'd ask her to tell stories about her home. The first time it had happened, it had occurred to her that she couldn't think of any. She had become so focused on her role, her work, and how to keep herself from fully turning into a cold-hearted dragon, she'd forgotten too much. For the first time since starting their secret meetings, it had been Ace's turn to comfort Alice, and that too became part of their routine.

"I can't have you forgetting about the other place." He'd said, "You might lose your reason for rebelling." And so each meeting, they'd spend an hour exercising the Jabberwocky's memory. Like everything else of importance, Alice and her Role fought about Ace. The Dragon wanted him to go away. He was trying to control her, using the Rule of Challenges to make Alice meet him every week so he could complain about his life. The Dragon had better things to do than spend so much time coddling a boy in a grown man's body. Alice on the other hand, perceived it as something completely different. She viewed Ace as a broken soul. He too struggled with the half of his personality that demanded he comply with his purpose in the Game. He was the Knave of Hearts, his duty was to serve the Queen and protect the people. Inside of himself however, he didn't want to do any of those things. He'd had different ideas and plans for himself, just like Alice had, and he clung onto those memories and desires. Like Alice, he didn't want to completely lose himself to the Role, and that was why she'd put up so little fuss over their absurd relationship.

/*\

Alice awoke during a morning period, and that made her smile. As much as she'd gotten used to Wonderland's random time changes, she still liked it when things felt chronological. She breathed in the cool morning air, and made herself a cup of tea.

As the day continued on, there were still no random time changes. It went from morning, to noon, to evening in the correct order. She calculated the time in her head. _Did…Did we enter April Season?_ That was when it hit her just how long it had been since she'd seen her friends, as in just for fun, not for work. She sighed melancholically. She missed being able to just go from place to place as she pleased. But then, she would get to go to the Amusement Park today. Gowland was pretty decent company, though he wouldn't be pleased to have to deal with another botched territory issue.

/*\

Like last April Season, the Park was overcast in unending summer. People dressed for the warmth, and Pierce was miserable, having still been done up for the cold of the mountains. He complained about the warmth almost the entire visit.

The Duke was very happy to see Alice. He brought her up to his office with Boris and Pierce as mediators, and they went through the motions.

"This border is a little sketchy, I'll give you that, but it's only a quarter mile of land!" the woman growled,

"I could build two more rollercoasters on a quarter mile." Alice sighed in aggravation and tried to come up with a solution.

"What if we were to declare it neutral between the two territories?" She ventured, "We could both use it. But would that count as giving something up?" She asked the Duke. His face froze, and he appeared to think it over. After a couple minutes of deliberating,

"The Rules don't really specify on that sort of thing. However if we could both use it, then it strikes me it wouldn't count as a loss for either party."

"Then it's a deal?" Boris asked, his visible eye flicking back and forth between the two, as if he was witnessing something exceedingly rare.

"I believe so." Alice stated,

"I think that's the first truly successful territory negotiation I've ever held!" the Park Owner exclaimed. "And in only two hours! I've got some spare time before I have to deal with the Hatter!" His eyes gleamed, "That reminds me, it's been far too long since you've been here. You haven't gotten a chance to see all the new rides!"

/*\

Alice's physical endurance had gone up exponentially when she took her Role. She could run faster than the swiftest deer. She was stronger than ten men put together. She could fly into the outer reaches of the atmosphere and then dive-bomb the earth no problem. After being forced onto three of Gowland's new rollercoasters, Pierce had to hold her upright. The entire world was spinning. She couldn't see straight to save her life, and she felt like she might throw up any second. When Pierce tried to let her walk on her own after a few minutes, she fell down. The mouse let out a startled yelp, and knelt down to help his boss.

"Why'd you let go?!" Boris had questioned the Dormouse indignantly,

"She's a bit heavier than you think, chu!"

"Don't make comments on my weight…" Alice had mumbled.

"What-No! I didn't mean it like that! I meant-I meant-gah!" Pierce stumbled over his words. She hummed incomprehensibly. The Cheshire Cat rolled his eyes, and grabbed Alice's other arm, looping it around his neck.

"C'mon," he murmured, "We need to get you to the infirmary before you're ill." And the cat and mouse helped the dizzy dragon to the sickroom.

/*\

When Alice came to, she could hear gunfire, profanity, and shrieking park workers. This could only mean one thing: the Mafia had shown up. Alice carefully stood, and walked to the doors leading outside. Gowland and Blood were shouting at each other, and Boris was yelling that they were going to wake up Alice. Stepping lightly, she sidled up to Boris.

"You'll feel really bad if she wakes up to you calling Blood a–"

"Too late for that." She yawned. Boris jumped, not used to being startled, and then his ears flattened against his head.

"I'm sorry. I tried to stop them…" The cat looked like he felt bad,

"Don't worry about it." She smiled,

"How do you feel?"

"There's still a bit of nausea, but I'll live." She stopped abruptly, and sniffed the air, catching a scent. It smelled metallic and salty, and it appeared to be coming from her friend. "Are you bleeding?" she inquired, Boris sighed.

"I kinda got hurt messing with the guards…." The rest would've been unintelligible to human ears.

"I told you to stop sneaking around the castle!" She scolded, "I don't want you to die!" For a dragon, Alice could pull off some seriously heart-wrenching puppy eyes.

"'Tis but a flesh wound…" (2) He protested feebly, but the girl only made her eyes tear up a bit. "I'm sorry!" He wailed, after a couple of minutes. Alice sighed in exasperation and pulled him back towards the building.

"Come on, let's fix you up." But the abrupt turn aggravated her stomach, "Ugh," she moaned as she doubled over and leaned against a nearby lamp-post. The noise died down, and Alice felt dizzy again.

"I don't think you're quite better yet." Boris stated. He went to help her up when someone else pushed himself in front of the cat and bent down to take her hand. "Not sure that's a good idea…" The cat sounded nervous,

"Don't worry, I can handle it." Said a voice Alice knew all too well. She had a moment of déjà vu as the point of her tail rested against the back of his neck.

"Don't touch me." She growled as ferociously as possible in her current state. Amused jade eyes looked down at her.

"I'm just trying to help you." He replied innocently, she snorted.

"Boris can help me. Go away." She pushed on his arm, and he actually fell back. For a moment he was shocked until he remembered how strong she'd gotten. Her tail flicked irritably as Boris led her back into the building, pausing to occasionally look back at the man, to make sure he wasn't following. Blood sighed in exasperation. He just wanted to _talk_ to the girl.

"What do you want from her?" The Park Owner asked, in all seriousness.

"What makes you think I want anything at all?" The Hatter responded smoothly,

"There have been some mighty nasty rumors going around." Gowland stated, "People been saying things. Crazy things. I heard that you wanted to–"

"Wanted to what, Merry-Go-Round?" Blood taunted, effortlessly changing the subject, and making the other man go mad with rage. Once again, bullets and vulgarities swarmed the area in front of the infirmary. The twins looked at Elliot,

"Boss-man's gonna make sis reeeeally mad." They stated in unison. For once, Elliot agreed.

**/*\**

**I decided to make this chapter kind of lighthearted. I feel like I'm trying too hard to make it dark and I get tired of the doom-and-gloom really fast. x.x So I started out with a serious segment, and let the rest of it be kinda fun. (2) Reference time? Reference time. Whoever knows this one gets a virtual cookie! :3**

**-Static**


	8. Chapter 8

**More writing? More writing. Seriously though, please review, I need to know how my skills are. I'm going to college for a creative writing major this summer and I haven't written at all in the past year. (Way to procrastinate right?) Mistakes were made. x.x Please, please, please leave constructive criticism!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

He stood over a grave site, and realized just why Alice had thrown such a fuss over the people blatantly murdering each other in Wonderland. In Wonderland, people could be reincarnated. If you killed someone – on purpose or by accident – an afterimage would take the clock, deliver it to the Tower, and in a short period of time, the person would live again. No big deal, exactly the same as scraping your knee after tripping or cutting your hand on a knife while cooking. It was a matter of minor importance. Granted, one might feel a little embarrassed for a moment or two after having killed someone, as if they had bumped into the victim walking down the side streets. If one had good etiquette, they would mutter an apology to the clock for the inconvenience, and be on their way, forgetting the event within several minutes. Death was exceedingly trivial in his dimension.

Here though, things were drastically different. There was no Clockmaker, no Clock Tower, and absolutely zero clocks, at least not in the context he thought of. This grave marked the burial ground of a girl who was dead, and there was no repairing that. She would never again take pleasure from the warmth of sunlight, or the vibrant colors of spring. She wouldn't hear her husbands' jokes to laugh at nor would she process new knowledge and weep for the disappearance of her little sister. This girl was stuck in a sleep that not even the Nightmare could invade, and not only was she trapped in the ground, but countless other headstones dotted the hills surrounding the man as well.

Only then did he realize the severity of this world. As horrible as Alice had pronounced Wonderland to be, her home was far worse, at least by his standards. The man felt as though he had gained a better understanding of the girls' strange values, and he could appreciate why she felt certain things. He found himself feeling a little more lenient towards her protests, and realized that, to her, his entire plane of existence was riddled with insanity.

Reaching into his crisp white jacket, he pulled out a small glass bottle. He opened it, allowing for a rank stench to permeate the air. Covering his nose, he poured the contents of the small bottle over where he estimated the girl's head might be concealed underneath the dirt.

Once the bottle emptied itself of the glowing green liquid, he stepped back, and opened the chasm. Now all he had to do was wait.

/*\

There was no way to describe the sensation of flying. Not even Nightmare could understand, for he could merely float, rather than fly properly. As Alice glided among the clouds, she let her back face the ground, her eyes closed serenely, focusing solely on the sensation of the cool air skimming over every visible inch of skin. After a few tranquil moments, she opened her eyes, and pulled her wings in tight. She started spinning as she dropped to the ground, and when she was maybe ten feet from colliding with the earth, she pulled sharply out of her drop, and started dodging around the pine trees that littered the mountains in thick clumps.

The adrenaline rush she'd get each time was simply exhilarating. This was not a response to fear, or a near-death situation, no this was a reaction to _fun_. She could never stop herself from laughing in delight as she darted through the trees at unreasonable speeds. Alice was having a great time, until she got distracted. Something caught her eye for one split second, and _wham_. The poor girl had smacked into a tree face-first.

"Owww…" She groaned, as she fell back on the pine needles and snow that completely covered the landscape.

"That wasn't very graceful, chu." Pierce laughed. Alice blew a piece of hair away from her face, and let her head fall back into the snow,

"That's not very nice you know." She mumbled petulantly, though secretly she was pleased. Pierce had almost stopped being afraid of everything. Granted, he still got uneasy whenever confronted with Boris, but he'd quit running and hiding. He stood his ground, and his self-confidence was skyrocketing. The boy was becoming surer of himself, and he seemed all the happier for it. He'd even started training himself to use weapons, and now neither Alice's cabin nor Pierce's hovel stank of fear.

"Yeah, but I was wondering why some of my clothes had gone missing this morning chu." He responded, taking the small girl's hands and lifting her to her feet. It was true; Alice had stolen a pair of Pierce's pants and one of his shirts. Flying in a dress was exceedingly uncomfortable. The last time she'd tried, her tail had gotten caught in the flowery fabric, and she'd crashed-landed into some poor farmer's house. Very embarrassing, so she'd taken to stealing her employees clothing each time she felt like stretching her wings a bit.

"I just wanted to fly a little." She shrugged as they walked back towards town.

"But why do you have to take my stuff to do it, chu? Buy your own clothes." The mouse teased,

"I could, but if I buy myself boys' clothes people will start talking. They'll say I'm off having trysts or affairs and I really don't feel up to dealing with it." They had reached Alice's cabin.

"But imagine what they'll say if they caught you wearing my clothes." He answered dryly.

"True…" She muttered, walking into her room, "Eh, a problem for another day. So what's on my schedule?" Pierce had become a sort of extremely toned-down version of Gray. He assisted her with odd duties and she let him take some of the smaller portions of work because there was just so much, but she was never trying to shirk her own responsibilities and he was by no means her nanny. She also let him keep her schedule, because it was one of the few affairs she just couldn't stand.

"Well, today was actually going to be a free day for you, but the Hatter has called for an impromptu meeting." He informed her through the door,

"Ugh," Alice groaned, as she pulled on her dress. "What does he want?" She growled to herself,

"He didn't say," Pierce had thought she was talking to him, "He just said it was urgent, chu."

"Alright, how soon does he need to see me?" she questioned, walking out of her room to the front door, passing Pierce his things on the way.

"As soon as possible, chu."

"Lovely." She mumbled to herself.

/*\

The Hatter had everything prepared, and the night was going to be dramatic. Normally, Blood didn't care much for drama. Drama created tension, tension created unnecessary work, and unnecessary work did not appeal to a man as lazy as the Mafia Boss. That was part of why so many of the mansions inhabitants had been so disbelieving in regards to his plan of riling the Jabberwocky. For whatever reason, he wanted the dragons' attention – for what, they weren't sure – and at the rate things were going, she wouldn't allow him anywhere near her for decades. Blood was not a patient man, and he'd needed a catalyst, and he'd gone from the gates of Heaven to Hell to get the perfect one.

He had the servants set the outdoor table for his tea party. He was having fun planning this all out until he realized that Elliot was nowhere to be found. Blood was going to need him. The Mafioso wasn't stupid. He knew that his stunt would likely send Alice into a rage, and it was very possible that she might kill him. He'd need both Elliot and the twins, because she cared for them too much to hurt them.

"Dee, Dum," He called out to the two children, "Do you know where Elliot is?"

"Chickie-rabbit's in the house." Dee said,

"He said something about making sure the 'special guests' were comfy." Dum continued, his tone slightly questioning, as though he wanted to know what, exactly, was going on.

"I see," Blood answered, letting nothing slip, "Keep a lookout for Alice." He said, walking away.

"Hey boss?" One of the boys asked, before he was out of earshot.

"Yes?"

"Sis is gonna be really mad isn't she?" The man smirked,

"She'll be outraged."

/*\

Right after that ominous declaration, the twins put their own little plan into play. They knew that sis was a dragon, and so, if she got angry, she might set stuff on fire. Not on purpose, but like every other Role-Holder in Wonderland, they knew that sis was powerful. Really powerful. More powerful than the boss in fact. For a while they had wondered if that was why he was going so out of his way to mess with sis, but they really didn't know.

"Brother," Dee turned to Dum, "Do you have the squirt guns?"

"Yup." Dum answered,

"The sprinklers?"

"Yup."

"The water balloons?"

"Yup"

"The fireworks?" Dee got a look for that one,

"Like I'd forget the fireworks." Dum growled, Dee held his hands up in the universal sign for 'I surrender'.

"I just gotta make sure brother." And the twins started making their own preparations.

/*\

Alice had taken the time to make herself completely presentable before departure. The last time she'd been confronted with the dreadful man, he'd made rude comments about her hair, her dress, everything that she'd left open to criticism. The other Role-Holders didn't scrutinize her the way Blood did, so when visiting them she didn't pay that much attention to stray hairs or the odd wrinkle in her dress, or whether or not her shoes matched her outfit. This time, it was going to be all business. She would not grant him the satisfaction of looking disheveled.

Upon arriving at Hatter Mansion – a place she was all too familiar with – she was greeted by the Bloody Twins. Something was a little off. They seemed way too eager to bring her through the gates. They knew of her distaste for their boss, and so their invitations to mansion had been quite hesitant this past year. She waved off the paranoia. They were just happy to see her, she hadn't been in a while, and the three of them were close as siblings. There was nothing to worry about.

As always, the black-haired man sat at the head of the table, and he waved at her to sit to his right. She was tempted to simply walk to the other end of the table, but if it was urgent, then it was likely an issue that neither of them would want more than a few servants to overhear. But then it was a tea party, and he'd said this meeting was of the utmost importance. However Blood absolutely adored his tea parties and only ever invited Role-Holders to such events. She compromised, and instead of being petty and sitting all the way across the table, she sat to his left, rather than right. Amusement danced in his eyes, and he greeted her.

"Hello Alice." His voice was perfectly cordial,

"Blood," She inclined her head in greeting. His smile grew ever-so-slightly, and her body stiffened. Even after she'd attained all this raw power, the Mad Hatter still unnerved her. She patiently waited for him to speak as the servants poured her a cup of tea. She let two sugar cubes plop into the steaming porcelain and took a sip. Still the man simply looked at her, his green eyes analyzing her every movement. She didn't like it, and she realized what he was doing. He wanted to make her uncomfortable. She merely raised an eyebrow, and tilted her head, not letting him see her unease.

"Well?" She finally let slip out.

"Well what?" Blood responded nonchalantly. The woman's annoyance was starting to grow.

"You asked me to come to the mansion today, because of something 'urgent'." Blood could almost taste the dragon's irritation, and it left him wanting just a bit more.

"'Urgent'?" He asked, "I don't recall using the word, I simply told the Bloody Twins to hand off an invite to a tea party," He shrugged and sipped his own cup of tea. She looked down to the twins, a deliberating expression on her face.

"So I am here for no reason?" She questioned when he covertly slid a paper napkin under her hand. She flinched at his touch, but she did not pull away. _Later, when the servants have retired._ Her confusion doubled. If he'd wanted to speak with her in private, why didn't they just go to the office? She wrote the question on the napkin and passed it back.

_That eager to get into a man's room?_ Was the response she got. She gritted her teeth.

_Only so that I know my destination when I finally go through with my plan of killing him in his sleep._ The Hatter had to muffle his laughter at that one. She got more and more interesting as time passed. He didn't respond, and the guests simply drank their tea and ate small pastries, chattering away peacefully. Finally, it seemed as though it was a normal tea party at the Hatter's and she started to wonder if there was any important issue at all, then Blood called Elliot over. He whispered to the not-rabbit, and then Elliot raised his hand in a signal for the servants. They all bowed, and retreated to their rooms in the mansion. So Blood could have made them leave at any time?

She was about to ream the Hatter when he raised his hand up, as if to silent her.

"You mean to tell _me_ what to do?" she asked softly, almost sounding dangerous. Almost. Blood grinned behind his teacup,

"Not at all, Dragon Queen," she'd never heard that nickname before, and he used it almost mockingly, "I'm simply asking that you wait." When this was over, she was definitely going to kill him. She was deciding what to do when an astonished and appalled voice called her name.

"Alice?!" And when the dragon turned, she saw four very familiar, very unwelcome faces gracing her sight. One, older and a little more ragged, the next quite young and wide-eyed, the third looked a little too much like the man sitting beside her, and the last, the last was the reason she'd wanted to go home at all. Standing before Alice was her family, and they all looked as though they'd just witnessed a demon rising up from Hell.

**/*\**

**Dum-dum-duuuuummm. Yeah, so Blood decided that he was mad that Alice wouldn't talk to him, so he went and kidnapped her family to tick her off. Yes, because enraging the Jabberwocky is such a great idea. Blood, you're not an idiot, but you're an idiot. Anyways, R&amp;R!**

**-Static**


	9. Chapter 9

**I know I said I was going to stop updating every day, but I'm on a roll.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice might as well have been paralyzed. After Lorina had spoken her name, Alice had whirled out of her chair, and she was staring at the four individuals before her as if she'd never seen them before. She simply couldn't believe what she was seeing. How could they be here? People couldn't get to Wonderland easily, and when they managed to make the trip, it was only ever one at a time. How had _four_ gotten here? Well she had a pretty good idea. Alice turned to the man beside her.

"What. Did. You. _Do_?" She growled. Blood only grinned,

"After the festival the twins gave me a very interesting bit of information," He stated, "They told me that you wanted to see your family. Well," He waved to the new guests, "There they are. I feel like I deserve a bit of gratitude."

"_Gratitude?_" She hissed, finally shooting a glare at him, "Blood, look at the way they're looking at me." Her voice almost broke on the last word. He'd done it. He'd finally done it. He made the Jabberwocky vulnerable, and he couldn't stop a wide smile from gracing his face. He moved to step closer to her when a voice spoke up again, calmer.

"Alice," Lorina had said, a little more stable, "Why are you wearing those hideous props?" The woman had asked, stepping forward. Alice scrambled backwards, running into the table.

"Lorina," Alice answered, trying to keep her voice steady, "These are not props." Alice then proceeded to swish her tail and rustle her wings. Their eyes widened, but only Lorina had gasped in horror, and only she had fainted. Luckily, her husband had caught her in his arms.

"I think you need to go." He'd all but ordered, this man who looked so much like Blood. He even gave her a look that reminded her of something the Mafioso himself would do, and that was what made something inside of her snap. For the first time ever, she let the Jabberwocky be her dominant personality, with absolutely no fight. She stood straighter, with her head held high.

"I am here because of business. Right now it is my _job_. If anyone must leave, it is you." She growled, letting it be a little more animalistic than normal. Edith flinched, and her father shielded the little girl from the dragon's piercing stare, though it was not directed at either of them.

"Alice, do as the man says." Her father ordered, and shot her glare to him,

"Father, the circumstances have changed. I will not do as he says, nor what you say."

"Young lady, I am your father!" Alice smiled,

"Very well, 'father'. Do you mean to say you assisted in the birth of a monster? A daemon, as Edith called me just a few seconds ago?" She let her wings fly to their full expanse. "Things are different here." She'd spoken powerfully. "Go back into the mansion, all four of you. Blood and I have things to discuss." They stared each other down for a few moments, and then she witnessed a scene she never thought would ever come to pass. Her father actually backed down. He had never given into any of Alices' arguments before, no matter how valid or reasonable they might have been. Sure, he'd sometimes let Lorina sway his decisions, but never Alice. After several minutes of thinking, she turned to Blood,

"I," she said carefully, "Am not going to kill you. However, the only reason I will show you any mercy is because I know that, at present, you're the only person who knows how to send them back."

"Do I?" he taunted,

"I lived with you for three months. I know you don't leave your research unfinished." and then she proceeded to slap him. Not hard enough that she broke the cheekbone, but definitely hard enough to leave a bruise. She then gripped the back of his hair and pulled his face down near hers. "I don't know what you were thinking in bringing them here, but you will send them back, or else." she hissed into his ear. Then she shoved the man away and started walking towards the gates. "Oh, that's right, Dee, Dum." She called, grabbing the boy's attention. She snapped her fingers, and all their fireworks blasted into the night. The two looked shocked, then delighted. They hugged her around the waist from either side, and she patted their hair gently.

"It was supposed to make the boss angry, but this is cool too. Thanks sis." Dee mumbled into the fabric of her dress. She smiled softly, and continued on her way. A few moments after she left, Elliot spoke up.

"So am I the only one who noticed that the West Rose Garden has been on fire for the past ten minutes?"

/*\

Henry Liddell had watched the whole spectacle from a window in the Hatter's office. Apparently the man had requested that the servants bring the girl's father to speak with him after he was done enraging Mr. Liddell's second daughter, and indeed she was not happy. Henry watched as Alice stood stock-still for about two minutes, then whirl on his host and slap him. She then said something in his ear. Needless to say, Mr. Liddell was embarrassed and displeased. He'd raised her better than that. But then his annoyances disappeared as he watched her snap her fingers, releasing firecrackers into the air. The two little boys who'd been sitting at the table went from slumping in their seats to smiling as wide as they could, and they wrapped their arms around his daughter as though she was their mother, rather than a business acquaintance of their boss. Her face had softened as she looked at them, and for a moment he felt a pang in his heart.

Alice was by no means his favorite daughter. He liked to think that he loved all his children equally, but Alice...she was just too strange. He loved her certainly, but he couldn't understand her. He didn't get her desire to be a businesswoman when he'd made it clear that one such carreer was improper for a woman. He couldn't discern the purposes behind her keeping such childish attire at seventeen. He couldn't figure out her reluctance to wear corsets, her desire to ride horses, or her spurning of every suitor to walk through the door. She had been raised to be an aristocratic housewife, and she was too arrogant to accept her fate. However, watching his daughter-now-monster show such gentleness to the two children...perhaps she had wanted some of the things he did, or realized what she had lost. Given the creature she'd become, maybe she couldn't bear children. Needless to say, he was relieved to see she had some humanity left.

Mr. Liddell had been lost in these thoughts when the door had opened and his host stomped through the door, tossing his obnoxious top hat on the coatrack, and plopping into his seat, irritated.

"Your daughter," the young man had said after a couple of minutes, "Is a serious piece of work." His tone was almost reprimanding, and Henry raised an eyebrow.

"And?" He challenged. Even if it was strange Alice, the man would not stand for anyone to insult any of his children. The Hatter, who looked a disturbing bit like Lorina's Charles, merely laughed. As soon as he started, he winced, and rubbed his cheek,

"I suppose that's what I get for provoking the dragon's ire." He muttered, "Anyways, Mr. Liddell. I want to talk to you about something, rather, your daughter." For a moment things were silent.

"What about her?" The man inquired slowly. He knew the unsavory truth about his host. This man led a very dangerous group of people, and he didn't want Alice - even in her newfound demonic form - anywhere near him.

"I want you to tell me everything you know about her, and then I want permission to court her." The man - Blood, what sort of parent named their child 'Blood'? - had answered without even the slightest hesitation. He sounded as though he were giving orders rather than asking permissions. "That is how things are done in your world right? You must ask the father's permission to court the woman your heart desires?" He sounded almost mocking,

"It is, but if I say no you must cease pursuing her." Henry had blatantly ignored the first 'request'. Blood grinned,

"That's not how it worked out for Charles." He said the man's name with a certain bitter twist. Of course, the physical similarities between the two were shocking. It would have been a great disadvantage, then, to the Mad Hatter, as some people called him. Alice had always been reluctant to take suitors, even more so after the situation with Charles had played out. Naturally, Blood's looks would work against, him. _Which I'm sure is a new experience for him._ Mr. Liddell thought, darkly amused.

"Why Alice? Surely you observe the monstrosity she's become." The Hatter simply raised his eyebrows,

"...You would ask me to discriminate against her simply because she's endured some physical changes? I find her just as beautiful as the day she arrived here, fully human." Who knew that a man who so blatantly harbored psychopathic tendencies could make him feel guilty for his - in his eyes - reasonable prejudices. "As for the why, Alice has never been afraid of me. She dislikes me certainly," he paused, "But she's not afraid of me. She doesn't nod along with every word I say, nor is she complacent. She is comfortable fighting me over everything, and for that, I find her interesting. Her new power is also not unattractive. She rules the northern mountains. An alliance with her would be extremely beneficial not just for me, but for her as well." Henry momentarily was silent,

"Even if I give you my permission, what makes you think she would accept you? As you said yourself, she dislikes you." Green eyes glinted maliciously,

"I have my ways."

/*\

Alice found herself feeling _very_ glad it was April Season. When she left Hatter's Mansion, she took a deep breath and planned her next move. After a moment pacing back and forth, deliberating, she remembered.

Alice tread through Joker's Forest with her head held high, then, she made the scenery change. This was the first time she'd ever willed herself into the prison, and she was hoping to catch the Warden by surprise. Her silver heels clicked threateningly against the tiled floor, and she was catching comment after lewd comment from the prisoners. After about ten minutes of this, she reached the end of her rope. She fixed her gaze on the man to make the most recent remark, and she flicked her fingers at him. As he burned, the rest of the prisoners fell silent. Maybe it hadn't been so smart to provoke an angry dragon. The fire dissipated before the man could die.

"As a general rule I like to be the only one tormenting my prisoners." A deep voice rang behind her,

"As a general rule," she repeated, "I like to not be leered at." She turned, "I have questions."

"What makes you think I'll answer them *****?"

"I have no time for this." She growled, lashing her tail. The Warden merely laughed,

"You think you can take me girly?" And he flung his whip out at her. Her hand snatched it from the air, and she lit the thing on fire, letting the metal plating grow warm. Before the flame reached him however, he pulled the whip out of her grasp and flung it around her waist. She growled and used the point of her tail to cut off the restraint.

"If I could leave Ace half-dead in the forest, I could kill you no problem." The Warden looked a lot less amused,

"You know, for someone who wants something from me," Suddenly he was right behind her, whispering in her ear, "You're not being very polite, *****." Faster than he could ever wish to be, she whirled on him and grabbed his neck, pinning him to the brick wall beside her.

"Your Role." She said,

"What about it, wench?" He growled. If he'd started calling her milder names, then that meant she had an advantage.

"Part of it is to enforce the Rules of the Game, no?" He paused, interested in her words.

"It is." She let go of him.

"Tell me how he did it." She stated,

"I need more information."

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about." He grinned,

"Maybe, but I don't tell for free. Offer me something good, and maybe I'll give you your answers." He made to walk away,

"You already told me something." He turned,

"What?"

"You know, and yet the Hatter is not in any of these cells, nor do you sound all that concerned about him." She looked to the Warden, "That means he played within the rules." For the first time, the Warden smiled at her, for real.

"You're learning." he stated, almost sounding proud of her.

"That means you cannot help me." She said, and made to walk away.

"That's not necessarily true." The Warden answered, "Play me at a game of Black Jack. You win, I help you send them back." The dragon smiled,

"I'd take you up on the offer if it wasn't for the fact that you have yet to prove yourself trustworthy." And she walked out of the prison on her own. The Warden laughed,

"You'll be back." He muttered to thin air, and then yelled at a prisoner.

/*\

Ace had gotten angry with her plenty of times. He'd get himself angry, take his sword out, and Alice would pummel him into the ground. That was how it worked. Never before had he been the one who needed to restrain her.

"Alice, calm down." He stated, keeping a bit of distance between her and himself.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She yelled back. "He brought them here! Here! _Into Wonderland_!"

"I realize that!" he answered, "But Alice, you can't burn down the entire forest because of it!" And that was when he spared a look at the burning trees and brush around him. Alice had gotten over her shock, and had let her rage loose. She sighed, and the fire dissipated,

"I know. I just...I needed to be mad for a minute." Ace nodded, but didn't get any closer. He got the feeling that she was still a bit unstable.

"Are you...better?" He asked awkwardly. When there was an issue, Ace usually fixed it via superior fighting skills, but here was a situation where that tactic did not work. If he had any chance of getting through to her, it was through talking. He wasn't good at talking.

"...Not really." She said, "But I'm not setting things on fire anymore. So that's good."

"Good..." He said, "Right..." And carefully he approached her, "Hey, I've got something for you." And from his jacket, he pulled out...a pastry sleeve? She shot him a questioning look, and he grinned, "Your favorite's rum cake right? Well," He handed her the package, "There's a bakery in town that's rumored to make the best in Wonderland. Also, I know you can't get that stuff up in the mountains." She laughed, sheer delight ornamenting her face.

"How did you know that?" She asked, sticking a piece into her mouth. He was right, this was the best rum cake she'd ever tasted.

"On the few times I've been to the mountains, I've noticed that your people have just barely started to get their crops growing." She raised an eyebrow at him,

"Not what I was talking about." She stated, he tilted his head slightly to the left,

"No? What were you talking about?" he asked in genuine confusion. Alice shook her head, whispered the word 'moron' to herself, and clarified,

"How did you know this was my favorite?" she asked, holding up the small bag before taking another bite of cake. Ace shrugged,

"Honestly? I overheard Peter talking to a servant one day. He wanted to get his hands on some in order to 'gain your favor'."

"Pfft," Alice muffled her laughter, "It takes much more than a little cake to woo me. Though to be fair this is pretty good." And then they proceeded to sit on a log several feet away from the burnt wood, and started chatting. Ace asked Alice how things were going at the tower, and Alice asked if he'd been using that map and compass she'd gotten him. She got annoyed when he said he lost the map but still had the compass.

"Do you have any idea how much easier things at Heart Castle would be for you if you'd just use navigational tools?"

"Hey," He defended, "I never got lost. The bad direction came with the Role." She snorted,

"No way. No supernatural force could make someone get lost as much as you," She teased.

"It's true! I was never late for anything!"

"I don't believe it." And they bantered like that back and forth until the time changed.

_When he's not a depressed, raving lunatic,_ Alice thought to herself, _He's actually very good company._

/*\

Julius Monrey did not contribute to the gunfights or political turmoil of Wonderland. He hadn't since Ace took over the position of collecting clocks. He simply worked at his desk, restoring life, and that was it. He didn't cause nor take trouble, he was a neutral Role-Holder, and that was how he liked it.

In recent days, Julius, like all the other Role-Holders, could sense trouble stirring. After Alice had nearly burned down Hatter Mansion, it came out that the rumors concerning Blood Dupre had come true. He had severely bent the rules and brought Alice's family to Wonderland. All four members.

This is something that should not have come to pass. Not only was it near impossible for more than one person to get to Wonderland at a time, but Alice's older sister had died. She had died in a world that did not allow for reincarnation or extreme healing, yet Blood had defied the other world's natural laws. It was common knowledge that the Mad Hatter was called 'mad' for a reason, but no one had ever gone this far before.

Julius sighed in exasperation. It was almost time for him to become an active participant within the Game once more, and he dreaded the connotations. Blood was taking more and more dangerous risks, and as one of the Role-Holders who dealt with the 'Truth', it was also part of the Clockmaker's job to prevent issues such as this. He was going to have to start leaving the Clock Tower again, and the idea was not appealing.

He stood up, walked to the kitchen, and poured himself more coffee. As he slumped down at his desk, he took stock of all the broken clocks before him. Before the Knave had entered into his employment, he couldn't remember ever having had this much work at once. If this continued into the darkness descending over Wonderland, he just might have to fire Ace.

**/*\**

**So. Did I blindside you with Julius's sudden involvement? What if I told you it wasn't sudden, and had been planned from the very beginning? :D R&amp;R! :3**

**-Static**


	10. Chapter 10

**I almost feel a little lost. I know what I want to do with the story, but I'm having issues with adding in some filler and connecting the next couple chapters, as I don't want to just rush into the stuff I have in mind. Anticipation is important. And then there's the actual writing. You know how it goes, you have all these cool ideas and visuals running around in your head and you're envisioning these beautiful, flowery sentences and it comes out like, "The thing happened, it was funny, that person was sarcastic." or it goes "This happened, that happened, and three years later..." because you just want to write the cool part already. Bleh XP**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice refused to visit her family. She'd be damned if she set foot in Hatter Mansion again. She paced back and forth in the office of Jabberwocky Tower. It was faintly reminiscent of Nightmare's own workroom. It was spacious, certainly. It had a few extra tables, for when the paperwork she got wouldn't all fit on her desk, and it had a tea table underneath a set of bay windows with an amazing view of the mountains, as well as a very comfortable set of one deep purple couch and two white chairs directly underneath the glass panes. The walls were a pale lavender color, and the drapes were stark white.

Alice knew that she needed to get her family out of Blood Dupre's grasp. She knew that he'd try to use them as hostages at some point, and she was worried about the demands he'd make. She took a deep breath, and let it out. For now she had faith that her father would keep everyone safe. Though he'd never been quite the same since her mother died, her father was sharp. He'd realize the true duties of the men and women who worked at the mansion, and he'd find ways of persuading Blood not to harm or manipulate any of them...for now. She needed to bring them to her territory, to ensure their safety, but how? She sighed, she'd have to let Blood think he had an advantage, or that he was doing her a favor. She sat down at her desk, and having had most of her work done, wrote a letter she was loathe to send.

/*\

Gray sometimes found himself seriously hating his life. Nightmare was his boss yes, but also a very good friend. He'd offered him a chance at a life he'd always wanted, but could never quite attain, and for that Gray would forever be thankful, but sometimes...sometimes his boss was just too much to deal with.

"Nightmare!" Gray snapped, as a mother might to her misbehaving child, "I told you already, _Alice is not going to eat you_."

"Did you not read the history texts?!" The dream demon retorted, near hysterics, "Dragons will devour anything that moves!"

"You know," Gray stated, crossing his arms, "Alice would be very, very hurt to hear that. Stay if you like, I'll get some of the attendants to keep you at work, but I'm going to visit her. When I talked to Pierce last, he said that no one except for the Queen ever comes to see her. She's up in the mountains all alone when she's been nothing but kind and considerate to pretty much everyone in Wonderland." And he snapped on his heel and started walking away. He'd taken approximately two steps when the demon's soft voice reached his ears.

"How long?" Nightmare had asked,

"What?" Gray had responded, more than a little confused,

"How long before she's not 'Alice' anymore?" There were a few moments of awkward silence, and Gray sighed,

"Honestly, I don't know. With the self-control she's been exhibiting, it may never happen, but in the event it does...we should at least be there for her, while she still has some semblance of sanity left." Nightmare nodded carefully,

"You're right. She needs her friends, whether she knows it or not. I will go with you, but I demand we take all the blankets in Clover Tower with us. The mountains are absolutely freezing." Gray sighed more forcefully this time, and soon went into nanny-mode once more.

/*\

Alice slumped in her chair, exhausted, as she finished up the last of her paperwork. No more for another week! Meaning she got to have some time off, excluding the two territory negotiations she needed to hold with Vivaldi and Gowland.

Needless to say, with all the work her brain had been doing for the past few time periods, she very much wanted to rest. Preferably, she wanted to sleep, so in a flurry of flames, she teleported to her small cabin in the woods, and changed into her nightclothes. She then drew the black-out drapes, and snuggled into the silky softness of her blankets. She let herself revel in her comfort, and slowly drifted off.

Alice had half-expected to dream, but she thought she would be experiencing normal dreams. The kind where she was flying through the mists of clouds, or running with a herd of elk, or even being back in London, shopping with her sister. It had been a long time since she'd seen this place, in fact, she hadn't been here since she'd taken her role. The purple-green mist swirled peacefully, and she saw a face that she'd stopped expecting to see, at least here.

Nightmare was sitting cross-legged, floating in the air, hanging upside down.

"Nightmare?!" Alice exclaimed, half shocked and half overjoyed. Though Alice might have complained incessantly about the breach of privacy the mind-reader provoked, she had missed him in the time he was gone. He grinned.

"I missed you too Alice, but unfortunately, it's a little harder to enter the dreams of my fellow Role-Holders than it is those of foreigners." He then reverted to right-side-up, his hair flying, and lowered himself so he stood on the ground as she did. She walked up to him and hugged the dream-demon,

"Really? You finally come to see me and the first thing you do is read my mind?" She asked good-naturedly. Human Alice would have been infuriated, and only taken mercy on the man in the event he coughed up blood. Now? She felt like she understood her friends a little better, since having truly become one of them, and could forgive such a minor offense quite easily. As long as he didn't look too deeply into her mind. The man laughed,

"I can't help it Alice, it's not like there's an on and off switch." She giggled,

"So tell me, what inspired this sudden appearance?" She asked, letting go and backing up a step.

"I passed out in the carriage." He admitted sheepishly. Alice tilted her head in confusion,

"The carriage? Since when has Gray decided to let you leave the tower long enough to get in a carriage?" she asked,

"Since _I_ decided we ought to take some time off to go see you." He gently flicked her forehead. She hung her head a little,

"I literally _just_ got to sleep. After ten time periods of work." She groaned, Nightmare wincing in sympathy, although he had no idea what ten straight time periods of work felt like. He chose to overlook that thought. "Alright, when will you be here?" Alice spoke aloud, Nightmare chuckled,

"Don't worry, we're still a good few hours away. We both have time to rest." And they chatted aimlessly about things. Alice teasingly asked her companion if he'd gotten a decent amount of paperwork done before he left, and in retaliation he asked why she didn't get her own set of boy's clothes and spare Pierce the chore of sewing up the wing-holes every time she wanted to go flying.

It wasn't until the end of the lengthy and pleasant conversation that Alice had asked Nightmare a serious question.

"I know we've only got a few minutes until you arrive in person," Alice stated, "But I have a question that I'm more comfortable asking here." Nightmare's one working eye glinted,

"You want to know if Blood has harmed or exploited your family members in any way." Alice nodded and the demon sighed,

"Well, your little sister is perfectly fine. I visit her in her dreams sometimes to check in, and mostly only her because she's the only one who seems to be able to tolerate me. According to her, everything is fine, but that's the perceptions of a child. In my most recent visit with your older sister and her husband, they do not know that they are currently residing in the Mafia, but they know that Blood is a shady man, as they both put it. They dread to think what he might want with you. As for your father... well he's aware of as much as a foreigner can be aware of." She nodded,

"I thought as much. But Blood, has he made any threats? Does he have any plans?" Nightmare sighed,

"You know I cannot tell you that. It would be against the Rules." Alice shrugged,

"It was worth a try. However, can you at least tell me if he has malicious intents." the man frowned,

"It depends on your definition of 'malicious'." And the dream-realm disappeared.

/*\

It was nighttime and Ace had been wandering around, and got lost in the woods _again_. He might still have the compass Alice gave him, but that didn't mean he used it. His tent was pitched, the fire was going, and he was sitting on a log, alternating between sips of tea from a thermos and drawls from his flask. He knew that alcoholism wasn't a healthy addiction, in the manner of tea and coffee, but damn, it made the problems go away much better.

Lately, his thoughts had been drawing ever closer to Alice. No, he did not love her. She was beautiful, and powerful, and kind, but he did not like the prospect of a woman who could overpower him so easily, yet at the same time the notion intrigued him. When Alice had first shown up, he'd been so angry that he hadn't endured the change of something inside himself as the rest of Wonderland's occupants had. He thought that killing her would solve the issue, but the very fact that she'd been able to simply talk him out of the decision... That had been the first sign.

Ace had started to become more at peace with himself that day. He still railed against the Knave with all his being, but for once, he didn't object to it's every action, no matter the rhyme or reason. His psychopathic killings didn't diminish, not by far, but the numbers had stopped increasing. Instead of desiring more and more bloodshed, clock after clock, body upon body, the death count on Ace's part had become more consistent. He was...content. An emotion that had become all but foreign to him.

Before becoming the Knave, Ace had actually lived quite peacefully. He'd never killed anyone before the position. He'd carried a weapon, certainly, and had injured many people, but never had he killed. His lot in life had been simple, and one he wanted. He'd been an artist, a painter to be precise. He'd been so good at his job, he'd even been hired to do portraits of the Queen. Not the old hag Vivaldi of course, but the previous one, the one before her. But then, when the Dame of Hearts died... He'd suddenly woken up one morning with a set of wide red eyes and a voice in his head.

At first, being the Knave hadn't seemed like a bad thing, in fact it had felt almost noble. His Role was to protect the Queen and her people from all their enemies. Well fair enough, while life might not be particularly meaningful - he could die and be replaced at any time - he at least had some sort of purpose in his new state of being, and besides, it would definitely be an entertaining way to live. The Queen was an important enough Role-Holder, and protecting her meant he'd get to have interesting encounters with other similarly significant people.

However, as time progressed, he realized that the Knave was hypocritical. It spoke of dignity and honor, yet it demanded that Ace be, basically, the Queen's slave. It wanted him to be a stand-up citizen and protect the people around him, yet if the Queen wanted something different, so be it. It told him that it was alright to hold on to his old life, yet it had erased his very name and replaced it with the three-letter word that had belonged to every Knave and Dame to ever live.

Ace had misinterpreted his Role. When he was a novice, the Queen had demanded to be protected, and have her people protected. The next monarch cared not for such ideals. The young girl, barely entering adolescence, had wanted nothing more than for those who annoyed her to be killed, and so he began a life as little more than an executioner. He realized how foolish he'd been, there was no higher purpose, there was no meaning, he'd gone from his contented life as a painter to existing purely for the Red Queen's convenience.

This was around the time he'd started getting lost. The Queen's orders for him never differed. Behead this servant, decapitate that maid, it was all the same, but the voice in his head told him that the Queen's every thought was his command. If she wanted him to kill everyone in the Red Kingdom, he'd do it. If she would like him to change her bedsheets, fine. If she even desired to have an affair with him...he'd have no choice. Ace had lost all semblance of free-will, and he resented it more than anything, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. For a time, he'd become almost docile.

When Ace met Julius everything changed. The Clockmaker wasn't a particularly friendly man, but he'd been in need of help at the time. The Knave had told Ace to ignore the issue. He was on a mission from the Queen, he didn't have time for this. Ace begged to differ, and for the first time, had done something directly opposing his Role. When he helped the Clockmaker kill the rebels and collect the precious time-pieces, he'd felt the life pour back into him. Even if but for a moment, he'd been free. When the Role protested the murdering of his attackers, he felt like he was taking back some portion of himself. He had proved that he was not entirely the Queen's creature, and he liked that feeling. He'd petitioned the Clockmaker for employment, and when the voice started screaming that this wasn't right and to abandon the endeavor at once, he found that he'd discovered a crack in the Rules, and he wanted to work at that crack until nothing remained of the chains that bound him to Heart Castle.

When the pretty little Foreigner showed up he had anticipated change, and it had come, just not for him. When the Mad Hatter had forced her to remain however...that change was more than welcome. Sure she'd left him near-dying at a kill-free event, but she _understood_. Now that she'd taken a Role, and had that voice in her head, just like he did, she got how he felt. She'd do anything to keep the Jabberwocky from taking complete control, just like he'd do anything to feel like himself again. Unlike the others, she understood how important the fight against the Role was, and for that, she'd become invaluable to him.

**/*\**

**I've noticed that few of these characters seem to have any clear backstory, so I came up with one for Ace. And for those of you complaining that the artist thing is too cliche, well sue me. Ace comes off as one of the more emotional characters, so it seemed like a fitting occupation. Anyways, R&amp;R! :3**

**-Static**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again, for the four-thousandth time. Please, please, PLEASE leave reviews. I live and breath for them. Seriously, they are the ring to my Golem, but not nearly that creepy.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Blood wanted to compromise. He needed to have leverage over the Jabberwocky. Yes, he knew how to send the Liddell family home, but so could Joker, if Alice were to offer him something he wanted. He needed to keep at least one of the new foreigners here. However, it didn't take that much time to figure our his argument. The little girl, Edith, had fallen ill with a cold, in the manner of all children. It wasn't severe, but there was no way she could travel in one such condition. The maids attended her well, and there was no way Henry would leave her in the sole care of the Mad Hatter. He looked over Alice's letter once more. She had asked that he send her family to her territory, saying she wanted to reconnect with them.

The Hatter knew that she was trying to play it humble. She was 'letting' him think he had an advantage. For a moment he felt wounded, and a little confused. It would hardly benefit him to carry out his plans if he were to harm her family. Then there was the fact that she appeared to think that little of him. But then, as his sister had pointed out, he was a selfish man who didn't think about the consequences his actions might have on other people, even those he loved. He had something she wanted. More than one something. So he sat down, and composed his own message. He then walked down the hall to the guest room that currently housed Charles and Lorina.

/*\

Alice was awakened in the dead of night to Pierce banging on her front door.

"Ugh," She groaned. She threw off her blankets, letting them turn into a pile on her small bed in the corner of her room. She stumbled into the nightstand, her vision not having quite adjusted to the pitch-black, and she pulled open the drapes of her one window facing parallel her bed to let in the moonlight, almost hitting the door to her tiny closet. She slipped into her dressing gown, and stomped through the open living space to her front door.

Throwing it open, she was confronted with the sight of Pierce raising his hand to knock once more. Sensing the woman's displeasure, his eyes went wide and he held his hands up in surrender.

"I'm sorry, I know you were sleeping, but we have visitors." And once the mouse explained the situation, she swiftly re-entered her tiny home and dressed. She then accompanied Pierce to welcome her family to the mountains. She led him down the mile-long hiking trail to the main city. Once there, she was greeted by the sight of a Hatter carriage with two horses and a mortified looking maid, who apologized for arriving at such a ridiculous hour. If Alice wasn't mistaken, this was the woman who had been the housekeeper for her room when she had lived in the mansion. She'd even helped when Alice had been down with a fever, and fetched her cool water every half hour to dab her forehead with.

"Matilda, it was?" Alice asked the faceless, and the woman smiled. Even after all that had happened, Alice was still able to tell all the faceless apart, which both flabbergasted and pleased the populace. Strangely enough though, none of the four new foreigners replicated the ability, as evidenced by the next set of events.

The carriage had sat in the roundabout circling a large, ornate marble fountain with designs of dragons and angels spewing water, with a statue of a woman adorned by a simple robe standing on the top. The roundabout was made of crimson bricks, circled by closed shops all in the same shade of chocolate brown with family apartments above them, and only a few streetlamps assisted the moon and stars with lighting.

Alice had expected everyone, but instead, only the married couple exited the vehicle. Matilda had assisted Lorina out, and bowed her head respectfully to Charles.

"Thank you, Allison." Lorina had said,

"Um, no," the faceless had said awkwardly, "My name is Matilda." She corrected shyly,

"Oh! I am so sorry! All the faceless just look so much alike!" Lorina had exclaimed, distressed.

"It's fine, we're all used to it. In fact, Madam Jabberwocky is the only person in all of Wonderland who can tell anyone apart." And the faceless woman gestured respectfully to Alice, who was growing ever more uncomfortable by the minute.

"Really?" Lorina looked to Alice in awe, who was quick to change the subject.

"Where are Edith and Father?" The dragon had asked, keeping to the shadows, and holding her wings in tight, trying to look as normal as possible. Lorina looked a little uncomfortable, and Charles intervened for her.

"They are still at the mansion. Edith came down with a cold and was rendered unfit to travel the distance. Naturally, Henry would not leave her alone." Alice nodded.

"Makes sense," She stated, "Anyways, I would like to thank you for agreeing to come live in my territory as opposed to the manor. As soon as Edith is well, I look forward to her and Father's arrival as well." Alice's voice was stiff and formal. More as though she was addressing a diplomat, rather than her sister and brother-in-law. "I will show you your room in the Tower. I don't know why the Hatter instructed you be dropped off here, it's still a couple streets down."

"If you'd like we'll take you straight there. The boss won't need to know." the driver stated, "If it means anything," he continued, softer, "None of us in the mansion wished for this to happen to you. Not even Blood." Alice stiffened, and Charles and Lorina appeared confused.

"...It was not your doing. Your boss however, knew better. He made his bed, he can lay in it. But if you would please bring them to the tower, I would appreciate it." The driver nodded, and Matilda beckoned the couple forwards, and re-entered the carriage after them. Once it headed off, she held her hand out to Pierce,

"Ready?" She asked, grinning. Pierce took it and sighed,

"I hate teleporting." And the two vanished from the quiet street in a flurry of sapphire-blue flame.

/*\

After the carriage had departed, Pierce picked up the one suitcase of belongings that Charles and Lorina had accumulated - primarily clothes - and Alice led the way up the stairs to the Tower.

"I apologize for having so few guest rooms." She said, "This place was designed for the owner to be fairly solitary, so there are only three bedrooms."

"Father will not be pleased to be sharing a room with Edith." Lorina joked. Had Alice still been human, Lorina would have teased Alice about having to share a room with the girl, but in her...condition, it was safe to say that Father might not want the youngest Liddell that close to her. Alice giggled,

"Actually, I do not reside in the Tower. I use the office and the bath, but that's it. I live in a small house in the woods." She could feel the couple's puzzled stares, "I dislike the clutter of the city." And she proceeded to show them to the master bedroom, with all three people in tow. Pierce had set down the suitcase just inside the door and left. He figured his presence might make some things feel more awkward for Alice.

The room was completely white. White walls, white carpet, white black-out curtains, white four-poster bed with a white canopy and white sheets. Even the dressers and walk-in closet were drowned in white. Not a speck of color to be seen. The room was pie-slice shaped, with two straight sides, and the last bending with the structure of the tower. The curved portion, which the bed was set up against, was completely made up of a window, with but two embellished Greek pillars separating the top of the frame from the bottom. There was no glass in the windows, leaving the room exposed to the cold of the mountains. In fact, the two people were wondering why Alice wasn't cold, and Lorina was about to ask when,

"Dragons are fairly immune to the harsh climate of the mountains, so this place wasn't really built with warmth in mind, but there is a fireplace, and there is glass in the windows. It pulls down like a curtain." And as she walked up to the nearest absence of wall, she flicked a lever that neither individual had seen before, and three panes of glass decended, shielding the couple from the freezing night air.

"...That's good to know..." Charles said, a little unevenly. Alice pretended like she hadn't heard him. "And in here is the bathroom." Like the bedroom, everything was white. The room was a square fifteen feet by fifteen feet, and almost twenty feet to the ceiling. There was a sink, and a toilet, both relatively average-sized sitting next to each other, but the rest of it was taken up by two eastern-style changing screens, and the bathtub. The ceiling was made up completely of glass, taking complete advantage of the natural lighting present during the day.

"It looks like a swimming pool!" Lorina had exclaimed, "A little like the bath at the mansion!" Alice hid her grimace,

"Yes, but you see how it's raised up?" Alice gestured to the stairs leading to the edge of the bathtub, and then the space separating the bath from the ground. "See that plate underneath it? Don't ever light it, even if the bath gets a little cold. It's meant to boil the water."

"Why would it boil the water?!" Lorina asked, dismayed, Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Weren't you listening? Dragons can't feel the cold, similarly, heat doesn't affect them either. The bath is designed for the comfort of a non-human creature." Then quietly, she lost the even formality, replacing it with slight embarassment. "It is one of the only times I can feel physical warmth." The two were silent, and Alice exhaled, "I'll give you a tour of the rest of the house when the time changes. It's dark out and I'm sure you're tired." She moved to leave, when Charles grabbed her sleeve. She looked at him, surprised. He hadn't touched her since the day he'd told her he wanted to be with Lorina instead of her. He handed her an envelope.

"He told us to give that to you." He said softly, while Lorina was inspecting the mirror above the sink.

"Lovely," she drawled sarcastically, and took her leave.

/*\

Alice had completely forgotten about Blood's letter, which she'd left on her nightstand to read in the morning. She was too worried about the events of the day. She needed to explain to the two people in the tower why she'd have them live here instead of a luxurious mansion with heating, she needed to deal with forty pages of paperwork, and she needed to re-light the lamp on top of the Tower.

The lamp on the tower is what allowed the mountains to be warm. Last night, she'd thought nothing of the cold becuase, well, it was night, and she couldn't feel it. She hadn't realized that the lamp had gone out, and fixing the issue would take time.

She went and bathed in the stream behind the cabin. The current occupants of the tower wouldn't appreciate her coming over and demanding to use the master bathroom first thing, and she couldn't use the guest bathroom because she simply wouldn't fit in the shower. Alice took a short bath. She washed her hair and skin, and rinsed the dirt off and out of her scales. She dried off and dressed, and filed her talons to keep the appearance of regular nails. They were still sharp and could do some damage, but she'd taken to filing them. It both helped her feel normal, and it also made things more convenient. It was very, very hard to do paperwork and mind a set of claws. Once Alice was done, she brushed out her hair, and adorned her circlet. She then teleported to the Tower's office.

She listened for footsteps, any sign of life, but heard only one set. That meant someone was awake. She quietly slipped into the hall, and approached the door to the living area, and knocked softly. When the door opened, it was Charles. Alice had really been hoping to see Lorina. He was still in his nightclothes, and his ice-blue eyes looked down at her. A little uneasy, but friendly. He shoved his brown hair out of his face as he addressed her,

"Oh, hello Alice, sorry we weren't ready for you. Lorina's not awake yet." She nodded,

"I know the two of you have a lot of questions. Granted Blood probably answered many of them already, but if you need anything, I'll be in the office." She pointed to the door. "I am also going to have to leave soon, as I have to relight the lantern on top of the tower. In the event you cannot find me, you can talk to Pierce. He should be arriving at the tower to help me in just a few minutes."

"Alice!" A voice shouted down the hallway. The mouse was bent over panting, holding onto his knees.

"Did you run here?" Alice asked, a little worried.

"Um, yeah, but don't worry, I drank five cups of coffee this morning, chu. I'm good!"

"The bruises under your eyes beg to differ. I keep telling you Pierce, you don't need coffee, you need _sleep_." She said, gently poking his chest. The mouse shrugged and straightened,

"I'm alright, I swear. Anyways, I have a present for you, chu." and he pulled out a set of...boy's clothes. "While this isn't exactly proper attire for a woman, it's much safer to fly in. Also, I'm really tired of patching up the wing holes in my shirts, chu."

"Shirt." Alice corrected, "I only ever steal the one." And she smiled up at him cheekily. The mouse snorted,

"Says you," he muttered, and then he noticed Charles looking at them, an eyebrow raised. Alice had forgotten he was there.

"Your ears, sir, are they real?" Pierce's ears flattened a little. Last night, he'd been wearing his hat, so his mouse ears hadn't been visible. Right now his head was bare, and Charles's eyes had widened considerably.

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't they be real?" Pierce had asked, extremely confused and clearly uncomfortable,

"Charles, that was exceedingly rude." A voice from within had scolded, "If Alice has...extra appendages, then why can't other people?" Lorina had shown up, wearing a dressing gown over her pajamas. A little bit of banter between the two of them, and Lorina urged both Alice and Pierce to come in. Well, so much for getting some work done before dealing with her sister. Lorina had made tea, and everyone sat in the lounge, a little uncomfortably. Alice and Pierce were sitting on one side of the table, Lorina and Charles at the other. The way they were looking at her, it almost felt like _Us vs. Them_. Alice did not like it.

Naturally, their first question was how Alice herself had gotten to Wonderland. She'd explained about her would-be stalker, Peter White. She told them about her time in the Clock Tower, she explained about the vial, and said that when she'd lost it, she'd moved to Hatter Mansion to find it. She'd stated that as much as she disliked Blood, she'd started to warm up to him. Once he'd broken the vial, she'd flipped out and locked herself in her room. She told them about the Warden appearing in the mirror, and then about the transformation.

"Once I got out of the mansion, I headed here for the mountains. Upon arrival, the people were terrified, and wouldn't let me anywhere near the city. I built a small cabin out in the woods to live in, and once the people realized I was the Jabberwocky, and not some random dragon out to terrorize the town, they allowed me to go on with my duties. Now that they've gotten to know me, I'd like to think they do more than tolerate me, though sometimes people will still cross the street to avoid me." She finished. Next they asked why there were animals that looked like people. Pierce answered that question.

"Why, in your world, are there animals that _don't_ appear humanoid? It's just how things work, chu."

Next they asked what Alice's job as the dragon was. She explained about the magic of dragons fire.

"The light of dragons' fire is supernatural. It can make anything grow, and bring warmth to the coldest of regions. For instance, at the top of the tower there's a lantern. When I breathe fire to light it, it allows for the entire region to become warm. Also, it's like a miniature sun, but more powerful in it's positive effects. When I first showed up, the people here were starving becuase they couldn't make any food grow. The light from the fire can grow plants in minutes."

"Is that all?" Charles asked,

"It is also my duty to, basically, protect and rule the mountains." Alice stated carefully. "All of these people have to listen to me, because that's part of my Role, just like how the faceless in Hatter territory have to listen to Blood. In turn, I protect them from potential enemies who might wish to harm us."

"That reminds me!" Pierce piped up, "You have to have tea with the Queen today!" Alice's eyes widened,

"I forgot." She said, and then made gestures of apology to the two people sitting opposite them. "I'm so sorry, I have to leave, Vivaldi is expecting me in..." She counted in her head, "Three hours!" And she made to rush out of the room when,

"Stop!" Lorina had ordered, and as Lorina's younger sibling, rather than the Jabberwocky, Alice halted, "Tea with the _Queen_?"

"Yes. The Queen of Hearts and I scheduled to have tea together today." Clearly, Alice had forgotten that this might come off as a little odd. "She and I are tired of territory negotiations with people we don't like, so we've arranged to spend some time together in order to relax." It was only then that her sister and brother-in-law started to realize the true extent of Alice's power in Wonderland.

**/*\**

**So yeah. I want to know how Charles and Lorina might react to Vivaldi, and in turn, how Vivaldi might react to the man who stomped all over Alice's heart! This is going to be fun...R&amp;R! :3**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Hallo.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice warped back to the stream and checked her reflection in the water. She brushed out her hair once more, smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress, and changed out from her comfortable winter boots to her proper silver heels. Vivaldi didn't care about how Alice looked, but because this prior engagement was something Alice had been looking forward to, she'd make herself presentable.

Once Alice was done sprucing herself up, she dashed back to the city to see Pierce waiting with her carriage. It wasn't nearly as fancy as some of the others, but it would do. When she crawled in, she saw that Lorina and her husband were sitting on the opposite side, fully and properly clothed. Charles was sitting back, staring at the ceiling. Clearly, this had not been his idea, her sister however...her back was straight and her arms crossed in a clearly authoritative gesture.

"I can't believe it until I see it."

"Do you have any idea how rude it would be if I brought guests at the last minute?"

"We would not impose. I simply wish to see you go into the castle. We won't even exit the carriage." Lorina stared down her sister, and Alice sighed. She wanted to argue the point, but she had no time.

"Fine, but please don't freak out!"

/*\

Lorina could not help but think that the castle was absolutely gorgeous. There was a town surrounding the palace, and though everything was adorned in red, there was a friendly and warm appearance that completely made up for it. There were streamers and paper lanterns hung up on the lampposts and criss-crossing the streets. There were crowds and crowds of people meandering along, smiling, and little stalls selling things from worry-stones to pastries.

"Is there some kind of festival going on?" The woman inquired, and Alice grinned,

"Nope. This is how it is all the time." and the carriage lapsed into silence as Lorina continued to take in the surroundings, noticing that, every so often, a small group would point out the carriage, and huddle together, appearing to whisper. Lorina had begun to ask Alice about it, but one look from her younger sister said that she was aware, and that the subject was not open for discussion.

As they approached the castle the buildings and shops faded into hedges, lined with guards. Soon they got to the gate, and hearing that the guest was Alice, the carriage was swiftly rushed in.

The carriage pulled up to the front entrance. It was a small expanse of stairs, with every other elevated edge occupied by two guards, one on each end. Two servants rolled out a long red carpet, and another was sent to assist Alice out of the carriage, not that she needed it. It was all a matter of courtesy. The servant bowed low to the dragon, and followed behind her up the stairs, not daring to walk on the rug as she did. At the top of the stairs, the Queen herself was smiling.

"Alice! It has been too long." And the Queen, to Lorina's amazement, slightly bowed and inclined her head to Alice, who returned the gesture. Alice giggled,

"Vivaldi, it's only been a week." Not _Queen_ Vivaldi? Needless to say the couple remaining in the carriage were shocked. Who'd have thought that Alice, _Alice_, would ever be on first-name basis with a Queen?

"Nonetheless," Vivaldi waved her staff carelessly, "Come, we've had the table in the garden set up for your arrival-wait, who are they?" Vivaldi gestured to the carriage,

"Oh, that's my sister and her husband." The Queen's eyes widened imperceptibly, only Alice noticed,

"So the Hatter...?"

"So it would seem." The Queen nodded and a pensive look appeared on her face,

"We shall invite them too!" She stated, clapping her hands together, and ordered a couple of servants to bring the extra two people as well.

/*\

After watching the couple stare at the castle in awe for the trip to the gardens, Alice was accosted by Lorina the moment they exited the building.

"It's so beautiful!" She stated, holding onto Alice's arm, and it truly was. The Queen had started into the maze, two maids flanking her. The ground was covered in grass and the stray wildflower, and the hedges had the most beautiful red roses budding randomly throughout the latticework of green. The Queen had changed the time of day to evening shortly after they arrived, and so the dimmer lighting with the changing color of the sky made the maze a little mysterious. Once they arrived at the center, the ground changed from dirt to marble tiles, and the visiting trio could observe a small table sitting in the middle under a red gazebo with sheer crimson curtains. Alice was awarded a place sitting directly next to the Queen on her left, while Lorina and Charles were set on the other side of the square table. The Queen ordered the guards to leave, the curtains were drawn, and her demeanor changed. One moment, she was haughty and arrogant, the next, relaxed and happy.

"So Lorina, sister of Alice, tell us about yourself. We've asked Alice on many an occasion to speak of her family, but all she's ever told us is of evenings spent in the garden with you." The girl in question turned away as she sipped her tea. Lorina had looked at her, puzzled, but did as the Queen asked.

Lorina had explained that her father was an accomplished businessman, and that their mother had died very suddenly. She told the Queen about Edith having a blatant dislike for Alice since the tragedy, and their father's retreat into his work. She said that she, too, had been nearing the depths of despair when Charles entered her life. Alice mentally thanked Gowland for all the princess training, or she might have lost it then and there. It was bad enough that he was here with her family. If she had to listen about how much he loved Lorina and had never loved another, she just might puke.

"Originally, my father was resistant to the idea of allowing contact between us, but eventually he gave in. We courted for three months, and then he proposed to me!" She showed the Queen her ring in delight, and Alice remained silent, sipping her tea. _Why did I let them come?_ She thought to herself despairingly, when a familiar voice rang out through the garden.

"Bloody hell!" It exclaimed, "The exit was over there! I'm sure of it!" It yelled in aggravation, before a figure threw open the curtains several moments later.

"...Oh, hey Alice!" Ace said, grinning. "How's it-**** ****!" He exclaimed, drawing his sword and in approximately one second, had the point at Charles's throat. Lorina screamed, Charles looked down at the sword, stock-still, and the Queen was outraged.

"Insolent knave!" she shrieked, "What are you doing?! How dare you threaten our guests!"

"Since when is-" he started to protest, but then looked down at Charles, "Hey, wait, you're not the Hatter." He stated, and then put away his sword. The Queen sighed in aggravation, and sat back down.

"No. It is not. The resemblance is certainly vexing, but that is not the Hatter, and we said nothing on the matter because it would have been rude. Have you no manners?" Vivaldi growled.

"Ace," Alice said, standing up, "This is Lorina and Charles; Lorina and Charles, this is Ace."

"I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but seeing as you just tried to kill me..." Charles trailed off,

"Foreigners," Ace shook his head, "So stingy about death. Anyways," Somehow, an extra chair had appeared, and he sat himself on Alice's left. "What's going on here?" He asked, leaning back in the chair contentedly.

"That is none of your concern. Leave." The Queen ordered, not missing a beat.

"Aww but Vivald-ee," Ace sang, stressing the "E" sound in the Queen's name, "I haven't gotten to see Alice in so long." Alice was going to protest that he'd seen her yesterday when she remembered. They hadn't met in public for months.

"That is _Queen_ Vivaldi to you, and we do not care. Alice is here to see _us_ not you!" And as the two started to bicker over who got to have her attention, Alice sighed into her teacup.

"This was supposed to be a pleasant evening." She murmured aloud. Ace heard,

"Your Majesty," He stated, "It would appear as though we are distressing our guest with our discussion. I propose a truce." Vivaldi glared at him,

"...We suppose. But once the evening ends, we are going to have you beheaded." Ace laughed,

"Now that's funny!" And before it could escalate into an argument once more, Alice stomped on Ace's foot with her heel, "Ow!" he whined, before finally allowing the peace to return.

/*\

Lorina observed the spectacle before her in awe. The Queen was actually squabbling with her subordinate over Alice. When the man spoke up, realizing her little sister's discomfort, this caught Lorina's interest greatly. The woman was aware that Charles had courted her sister first. How could she not? He'd liked the younger girl well enough, but it was but a fraction of the feeling he harbored for Lorina. After he'd declared his affections for the eldest, Alice had retreated into herself, and rightfully so. In their world, for a man to leave a woman in favor of a relative, a _sibling_, was almost unheard of. The resulting disgrace for all involved would be societal ruin. Somehow though, father had made everything alright again, but all she knew was that Alice had taken the brunt of the consequences, and had been sent away for a week. No matter how much she might ask or allude, no one would tell her what had actually happened. So if Alice had a suitor here - and Ace did not appear unattractive as of yet - it would make Lorina so happy, because it might allow for her sister to be happy again as well.

Alice had simply rolled her eyes at the man. "Ace, be _nice_." She had stated.

"What are you saying? I'm always nice." The man had protested.

"You're-" Alice started, but then...sniffed. That was something Lorina couldn't get quite used to. Her little sister sniffing the air like a dog...it was unnatural. But she would never let that thought slip. "Are you _drunk_?" She asked incredulously. Oh. So this "Ace" was an alcoholic hmm? This would not do. If Alice was to have a romantic interest, he needed to be an upstanding citizen. Far better than an addict.

"Alice," he stated teasingly, "Have you ever actually seen me drunk?" She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. Apparently not. "Hey wait," The man stated, "Didn't you say your sister's name was Lorina?" He inquired, and Alice simply looked at him as if to say, _Are you that stupid?,_ and sighed,

"Yes. This is my sister and her husband."

"Oh! Well that makes more sense than if a random foreigner with her name just showed up. Hello!" He greeted again. Lorina wondered if the man was mentally right in the head.

"How do you do?" She answered softly. The Queen hadn't spoken a word up til now, and strangely, neither had her husband. He was gazing just as hard at the newcomer as Lorina was. Maybe he was sharing a few of her thoughts?

"I'm sorry he so rudely interrupted our conversation." Vivaldi stated, "You were saying?" She prompted the couple to continue, and hesitantly, they did so. They described the wedding day, where they got to see all their distant family members and drink the finest champagne, and then they told the Queen about their honeymoon in Paris.

"The city was beautiful," Lorina was saying, "The shops had the most gorgeous clothes and trinkets, and the food was much, much nicer than the things we eat in England. The only way we would've gotten better wine was if we'd gone to Italy." She reminisced, "And the place we stayed at! It was a villa that had belonged to Charles's grandparents." The Queen listened intently, interested in the stories she was hearing of this parallel world that all knew of but few had seen. "It overlooked the ocean, and it was absolutely beautiful during the sunset-"

"Excuse me." Ace had interrupted, "I know that this is a fairly rude question, but isn't it true that Charles had been courting Alice before he decided his affections laid with you?" Charles's face had hardened, Lorina had gone pale, and Alice choked on her tea.

"How did you know that?!" the dragon had exclaimed, and Ace held up his hands,

"I heard the Hatter talking about-AHH!" He screamed when Alice grabbed him by his hair and drug him out of the gazebo, "Woman, that hurts!" he yelled, and as his voice got further and further away, the Queen's expression had gone from sweet and wondering, to cold and severe.

"We suppose the fool's interruption was a blessing in disguise, but there is something I wish to discuss with the two of you." This time, Charles took over,

"What about?" he asked, lifting his head in an almost defiant gesture. The Queen would have been amused, had the subject not been so serious,

"Alice." She stated, "We are worried about her." Both individuals appeared confused, "Has she appeared particularly distant or formal since you've arrived?" The woman asked, calmly sipping her drink, and the couple nodded carefully, affirming her suspicions. "The two of you need to go home." She stated,

"Why?" Charles challenged, "Why should we have to do anything? Because Alice is a little twitchy? I would be too if I'd been transformed into a monster and then had to face my family." Lorina slapped his hand,

"Charles!" she scolded, appalled, the Queen merely laughed,

"You need to leave because your presence here is aggravating her condition." And the Queen of Hearts explained to the troubled couple exactly what was wrong with Alice.

/*\

Alice was going to kill Ace. Alright, not kill him...but he would not return unscathed. She pulled him into one of the mazes' many dead ends and whirled on him.

"Do I have a bald spot where you pulled my hair?" He asked innocently, rubbing the top of his head,

"Why would you bring that up?!" She shouted, distressed.

"Well I don't want to be twenty-one and bald." He said seriously, Alice smacked her face.

"That is not what I was talking about!" She shouted, a nearby bush bursting into fire, making her jump. "I hope the Queen didn't like that shrub." She muttered,

"She won't care, you're alright." Alice glared at him. "Fine, you want to know why I asked that question?" The girl nodded, "Because I wanted to see the look on his face." Alice froze, studying him, finally deciding that he was serious.

"Because..." she said slowly, "You wanted...to see the look on his face?" Ace nodded,

"I wanted to see if he felt guilty for the way he treated you." Alice was flooded by a variety of emotions, but the one that reigned dominant at that moment was rage.

"_Why?!_" She shrieked, "Why would you want to know that?! It is not as though you care for me, and in front of my sister! His wife!" She was about to rant more when Ace stepped up to her, placed his hands on her shoulders and said her name.

"Alice, you've lit the hedges on fire." And as she looked around, she realized that he was right. Instead of speaking, she simply growled in frustration and willed the fire to die down. As soon as she was calm enough to compose a comprehensive sentence.

"You never answered my question." She stated,

"I wanted to know whether or not he felt guilty because you deserve every bit of his remorse. No, I don't have any romantic interest in you. Not at the moment anyway, but you are my friend." He answered simply, she looked at him a moment and laughed, turning her gaze to her feet.

"Oh God." she muttered, "They're actually here. In Wonderland." and when she tilted her head back up, Ace could see tears streaming down her face. He was momentarily confused by this seemingly random comment, but then something clicked in his brain.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

"Have you allowed the Role to take free reign?" His voice held none of the friendliness or kindness of before. This was the Ace who was about to kill who or whatever crossed his path.

"Only in the presence of my family." she said, "I know that's not good but-"

"No 'buts' Alice!" For the first time ever, Ace actually shouted at her. Normally, he'd smile and speak coldly, and then his voice would become devoid of all emotion as he made an attempt on her life. This time, he looked genuinely angry, and Alice was at a loss for what to do.

"Ace?!"

"You..." He muttered, then stronger, "You can't do that! That's not how it works! You don't let 'it' control you when you're faced with a situation you don't want to deal with. You've been fighting so hard, just like me, and now with the arrival of those two into your territory..." He trailed off, and Alice could see the gears moving in his mind.

"Ace..." She murmured warningly,

"Heh...hehehe..." He started laughing, "That's all I've gotta do." He said, drawing his sword. "If I kill that man and your sister, you'll be relieved of your pain. You won't ever have to look at them again, and the Jabberwocky will have no sway over you. Then there will be nothing to make you complacent ever again." And he started to walk away. For a moment, Alice was paralyzed, and then enraged.

"No!" She shouted and she teleported right in front of him and slapped him hard enough to make him rock back on his heels, and as he moved backwards, she stepped forward. "You will not touch them." She snarled. Ace's eyes went dark, and he swung the heavy blade down onto the petite girl.

**/*\**

**Another fight? Another fight. Now that Ace knows how Alice wins her battles, let's see if she succeeds this time.**

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	13. Chapter 13

**I feel like no one really reads the author's notes anyway, but it just looks so blank without one at the beginning and end. Also, feels like a pretty good outlet for my random thoughts. The first one makes for a good nonsense paragraph to get your mind going when you sit down to write too.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

When Nightmare had entered his office that day, Blood had felt quite smug over the fact that everything was going according to plan. However, Nightmare's words hadn't exactly pleased him.

The demon had been coming to warn him, as expected, but the creature he was to be cautious of was one he'd never feared. He might have faced it with amusement, contempt, and even the most primal of desires, but not fear. The demon had explained that this plot to bring the four Outsiders into Wonderland was insane for more than one reason, but the main cause of his visit had been Alice.

If she was not careful, she would lose her mind, as all the Role-Holders knew. In the past, many a Jabberwocky was able to keep the insanity under control perfectly fine. Few had truly ever lost their composure, but there was a reason that the role had been dropped up until now. The dragon was not built to be an emotional creature, and it was launched into an emotional host, time and time again. The conflicting minds of two entities in one body was never a pleasant experience, not even for the gentlest of Role-Holders, but as an unofficial rule, the Role respected the fact that it was the intruder in the other person's body. The 'voice' occupying all Role-Holder's minds was there only to remind them of their duties, nothing more.

The Jabberwocky on the other hand, was not so docile. It was not in a dragon's nature to be dominated, to be repressed in the same manner of other Roles. It always had and always would strive to take complete control of the host's mind and body. Nightmare had explained this.

"Alice is already fighting a battle within herself to keep the dragon from pushing forward. It might be influenced slightly by her mind and personality, in the manner of all Roles, but the last Jabberwocky had been intent on bringing about the apocalypse. If you go on with your plan and try to provoke her this way, she might not be able to keep the balance."

"She's kept perfect control over it so far." The Mafia boss stated.

"She hasn't had a trigger like this so far." The demon growled.

"So what? Do you really think she'd try to continue her predecessors' work of 'destroying the world'?" Blood had mocked, the demon's one eye narrowed,

"You did not yet exist when the last dragon lost control. You don't remember it. What that man did was horrible enough that the Role had been dropped. _Dropped_ Hatter, do you have any idea what that means?!" but he continued on before the Mafioso could answer, "Perhaps you're right, and she'll be able to keep it in check with little problem. Maybe nothing will ever happen, but even if her control remains faultless, if you bring her family here...you researched the consequences yes?" The Hatter nodded,

"If they remain too long, we will all slowly lose our minds as the universe crumbles." Nightmare nodded,

"And who do you think would be the first to go?" there were several minutes of silence, "The Jabberwocky is already quite an unstable creature. It's so old that it's getting nearer and nearer to the edge of insanity every day and it doesn't help that it was out of play for so long. Add that to the fact that Alice herself will be the most affected by this change you wish to bring about..." Nightmare trailed off. The Hatter nodded,

"I see where you're coming from, but I don't intend to allow these new Foreigners to remain for longer than a few months. Everything will be fine." He stated, leaning back into the chair nonchalantly.

"How can you know that? What makes you think you will have complete and total control over the situation?"

"Have you forgotten who I am?" Blood had asked dangerously, "I am one of the most powerful Role-Holders in Wonderland. Because I am the leader of the Mafia, I have more leeway with the Rules than any of the rest of you. Trust me worm," he insulted smoothly, "Nothing will go wrong." Nightmare stared down the Hatter, and the Hatter returned the glare. Nightmare sighed and looked away first. It had been his job to merely warn the man of the consequences of his actions. If he could not dissuade him from bringing about a darkness that would encase not just the mansion, but all of Wonderland, then there was nothing he could do. He stood up and turned to leave, but let one last comment slip.

"Remember Dupre, if you screw up, we all die, and not in a manner that can be repaired by the Clockmaker." and the incubus silently shut the door behind him. Blood, instead of mulling over his words, simply marveled at the fact that his guest hadn't spewed blood everywhere.

/*\

Julius had finally managed to get all the clocks fixed. He'd told Ace to take some time off, much to the knave's disappointment, and now was able to fulfill one of his other, more immediately important purposes. He knew that Alice would not thank him for this, but before anything else happened, this needed to be done.

Like Nightmare to the Hatter, Julius had to warn Alice of the repercussions if her family remained in Wonderland. It had only been a few weeks since the Hatter had brought them here, but he could already feel the darkness approaching, in a similar manner that animals could sense an earthquake coming.

_You need to tell her what's happening!_ His Role said,

_You behave as if I don't know that._ Julius had retorted calmly, _It's not as simple as you're making it out to be._

_And it's not as hard as you're making it out to be, you misanthrope!_ The Role was panicking, _She wants her family gone as much as the rest of us. It's not like she'll put up that big a fight! Now just go tell her so I can stop freaking out!_

_That's not the part I'm worried about._ Julius had answered, _How do you think a dragon will react to being told she's insane?_ He questioned. If the Role had a face, it would be rolling it's eyes at him. It's host could be a real pain sometimes.

_But she's not insane, not yet anyways. Besides, you don't actually have to bring that up to her, you tactless fool. Explain why having more than one Foreigner in Wonderland is a bad thing, and explain what has to happen once they go home. She's not stupid. She'll understand without getting angry, especially since she's technically one of us now and knows in full what the Rules are. _Julius sighed. His other personality had a point, but that didn't mean he had to like it. There were several minutes of tension before Julius gave in.

_It's going to break her heart._ And the Role was not unsympathetic,

_I know, and forcing her to feel that pain will hurt me just as much as it hurts you. The Jabberwocky and I have history, and I don't revel in the thought of upsetting her, especially since she's been gone for so long. However, we have no choice. Break her heart, or let Wonderland perish. I can already feel the madness starting to close in on me._ Normally, the personality of the Role didn't tend to sound so sad, despite being the Mortician. However, these were dark times, dark times indeed, even if the rest of the Role-Holders didn't quite see it yet.

_Damn the Hatter._ Julius thought, and the voice in his head laughed,

_My sentiments exactly._

/*\

Ace's sword slammed down into contact with the edge of Alice's spearheaded tail. She'd learned her lesson about using her wings as a shield. Ace pulled back, and tried to swing at her side. Moving nothing but her tail, she blocked that blow as well. She snapped her fingers, and Ace's sword was set alight, the hilt becoming just a little to warm too fast. He let go, hissing and glared.

"You know I'm right. If they disappear, your pain goes away." Alice glared right back,

"Not entirely. You don't have to kill someone to get rid of them." She stated, crossing her arms and flicking her tail irritably. Ace simply grimaced at her and dove for his sword again. It was still hot, but his gloves protected his hands from most of the heat. He swung at her once more, and she ducked, just narrowly avoiding decapitation. He advanced on her and she let him, simply dodging until she had the perfect opportunity. Finally, his right foot had gotten far away enough from the other, that she was able to wrap her tail around his ankle with ease, and lift him in the air so that he hung upside down. _Was he always this heavy?_ she thought to herself.

_Probably_. Another voice in her psyche muttered, as the thin end of her tail strained against his weight.

_Not the time!_ she mentally shouted. Ace could see she was momentarily distracted, and took the opportunity to lash out.

"Ow!" She yelped. He hadn't done any serious harm, but that part of her tail was fairly narrow. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd bruised the bone when he hit it with the flat of his sword. The limb sped away, flicking angrily, and he came in again. He swung the sword once more, and she teleported behind him, using her superior strength to kick the back of his knee in. He lost his balance for a second, and she managed to get the sword away again, using her tail to slap it out of his hand. They both dove for the weapon, but Alice was the victor, holding it uneasily in her hands. Clearly, she'd never touched a sword before, but she wasn't going to let him have it back anytime soon. She held the blade close to her chest and over her shoulder, and used both wings to shield her torso, glaring at him over the silver expanse. He laughed,

"Well this is new. Are you going to try and take me down with my own sword Alice?" he taunted, stepping forward. She moved backwards,

"I have no intention to kill you." she stated, he raised an eyebrow.

"You think I won't try again?" She smirked,

"If I recall correctly, you said something quite similar to Boris when you had it in your head that you wanted to kill _me_." She answered sweetly. Ace started to look a little irritated,

"Maybe," He'd run towards her, surprising her, and pulled her wings down. He'd managed to get a grip on the hilt of his sword, and now they were essentially playing tug-of-war with a sharp piece of metal. He bent around to let his face rest on Alice's left cheek, "But those people are not you." He'd whispered, and then his right hand moved. She didn't know what he was planning to do, only that his hand was nearing her waist, and so she kicked him in the shin and tore away. Crap, she'd let go of the sword. Ace grinned, twirled it in his hand, and advanced once more.

"It looks like I've got you cornered." He stated triumphantly, when blue flames engulfed her body, and she appeared directly behind him. However, he'd been expecting that, and he'd managed to whirl and hit her in the head with the back of the hilt.

Alice let out a startled noise, and then felt dizzy. There was a blinding pain in her left temple, and she was pretty sure she was bleeding, however she didn't know, because she couldn't see straight. In turn, she also couldn't keep her balance. She also felt a little like she might throw up. All in all, she felt ill and furious and sleepy.

Ace had clearly won. Alice was going to fall over any second now, and he was moving to catch her when a loud _bang_ resonated through the maze, and Ace realized what a horrible mistake he'd made. He'd allowed himself to get distracted, and now Alice had a gaping bullet wound in her chest.

**/*\**

**Yep. I ended it there. I can almost feel your rage burning through me, but oh well. You'll just have to keep up with the story to find out what happens next! Mwahahaha! Also, for the scene in Blood's office, you guys thought I forgot about his and Nightmare's conversation, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?! Oh ye of little faith. v.v Anyways, please leave a review or two and I promise I will update soon! :D**

**-Static**


	14. Chapter 14

**I have too much free time on my hands.**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Things had been quiet at the Amusement Park lately, but the people were starting to get nervous. There was a storm brewing in from the south, just a little past the Clock Tower, and everyone could tell that it was no ordinary storm. The clouds were as black as night, some of the lookouts said. The lighting flashed blue, and the rain fell so hard, it pierced the trees and sliced through the leaves. If that storm got much closer, who knew what sort of damage it might do?

That wasn't all though. Gowland had noticed that some of his workers had been acting...strange. Not big things, but noticeable. The man scouting customers for the new rides had been getting distracted. The woman in the infirmary forgot what suture was for. Even one of the attendees to his last shoot-out with the Mafia couldn't remember how to reload a gun in the midst of the battle.

"This means something, something bad." The Cheshire Cat had stated in response to the occurrences, his tail lashing, ears flattened. He had a better sense of what was going on than just about anyone else in the Park, but he had no clue what was happening regarding the specifics. "I can smell the storm." He'd told the Duke, "But it doesn't smell like rain or even ozone. It's like that smell when the afterimages show up. Metallic, and...decaying. I don't like it."

"I've only ever seen something like this once before." Gowland had responded, "And that was over two centuries ago."

/*\

Ace dealt with a few conflicting situations. First, he was pretty sure he'd just condemned one of his two closest friends to certain death. Second, the guy who shot her was steadily getting away. Third...Ace had no idea what to do. Instinct demanded that he pursue the shooter and show him the true meaning of pain. His mind told him to go to Alice and beg her for forgiveness for however long she had left, as she would probably disappear soon, her clock taken by the afterimages.

Ace decided to hunt down the shooter. The man had only gotten several yards away, having been distracted by his earpiece. Ace had ambushed and bound him in brambles from the hedges, as he didn't have any rope, and promised the assailant that he would come back for him later. Then, he walked over to Alice's body, which strangely, hadn't yet vanished. Gently, he lifted her injured form into his lap, and let his head rest against her chest, like when he'd demand to hear her heartbeat in the tent.

This time, instead of trying to cop a feel and provoke startled and enraged sounds from her throat, Ace merely held her close in one of the only displays of grief he'd ever shown in his life. Alice was the only person who understood his struggle through life, and did not try to take advantage of it. She was the only one who shared his pain. She was the only one who cared enough to try and help him salvage what was left of his sanity. Now, thanks to him, she was gone.

As one stray tear escaped his eye, he heard it, and his clock skipped a tick. He could hear a sound in her chest, a familiar one. One he never thought he'd hear again. _Ba-bump, ba-bump_. Alice was alive, just barely, and in spite of everything that had happened, she still had her heartbeat.

/*\

Alice had seen everything through hazy eyes. She dozed, and she wasn't quite sure if her perceptions were real or the products of pain mixed with nausea mixed with exhaustion. After she got shot, she fell over certainly. She could feel excruciating pain in her chest, as well as wetness seeping through her clothes. She watched Ace run away, and unable to find the willpower to move, resigned herself to her fate. Ace had never truly been able to figure out whether he wanted to kill her or not, and it would seem that the universe had finally had it with his indecisiveness.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. The evening light was quite beautiful. Part of the sky appeared blue, while the other was definitely orange. The clouds reflected the dying light in hues of purple and pink and red, and Alice couldn't help but think that it was quite beautiful. There were certainly worse things to see right before you died. Committing the image to her memory, she drifted off.

Next she thought she saw Ace. She'd been jolted awake when another bout of pain shot through her. He'd picked her up, and she was about to yell at him for having the gall to touch her when she thought she saw a tear-stain on his face. No, this was definitely a dream. Ace didn't cry. That was a law of the universe as much as the Rules were, it was something that simply did not happen. Knowing that this wasn't real, she let her drowsiness take over once more.

/*\

The Queen had never been more outraged in her life. Once Ace had gently lifted Alice into his arms, he'd found and ordered a couple of guards to drag the hog-tied would-be assassin behind. He'd asked another card to lead him back to the center of the maze, and with the utmost care, he'd presented Alice's wounded and sleeping form to his superior and her two family members that, not that long ago, he'd have happily slain.

Ace hadn't told the Queen about his and Alice's little spat. Instead he insisted that twenty assassins had invaded the maze all at once. While he'd been deflecting bullets from ten different people, all wielding semi-automatic rifles, he'd been unable to defend Alice. Unused to fighting, she'd been hit in the head with the butt of someone's gun, and gotten shot. The prisoner currently in the Queen's possession was the only survivor of Ace's wrath. That was the story he told, and the prisoner, more terrified of Ace rather than the Queen, confirmed the man's tale when questioned.

Charles and Lorina were horrified. The woman had hid her face in her husband's chest, weeping, while the man himself simply looked down on the bloodied form, almost appearing to be in shock. With the Queens orders, Alice would be taken to the infirmary, her wounds patched up by only the best doctors in Heart Kingdom. Until she was fit to travel back to her own territory, Vivaldi would grant her dear friend's sister and her man a room, as well as have Pierce gather their things from Jabberwocky Tower, so that they might stay in the castle as well.

/*\

When Alice awoke she discovered that she was back in the garden at home. She looked down at herself, and saw that her sophisticated blue gown had disappeared. In it's place was...her dress. She could have sworn that it had been destroyed in her transformation, but apparently not so. She was sitting under her favorite tree, with a tea set and a stack of books sitting on the blanket in front of her. She could see the doors and windows and walls of her house just fifty yards away.

Confused, Alice reached up to the top of her head. Her creepy silver circlet was gone, her hair ribbon in the correct place. She then tried to move her tail, but nothing happened. She tried again, and realized she couldn't feel it. For a moment she was terrified that the limb had been paralyzed in her fight with Ace, but when she turned, she realized it wasn't actually _there_. Neither were her wings. Once she got over the initial wave of panic, she felt a little numb. After all her adventures, all that had happened, all the emotional turmoil...Wonderland had really been just a dream, and nothing more.

/*\

Alice would not wake up. Her wounds were not as severe as they could have been, and both Peter and Ace had refused to leave her bedside until her comatose state was remedied. Yes, even after the initial shock of her becoming a fire-breathing lizard, Peter was still stalking her, and he was shattered.

Peter had walked into the maze to let the Queen know that he'd gotten all the paperwork done. Until the Amusement Park and Mafia returned their letters, everyone got to have some breathing space. He planned to take a trip to Jabberwocky's Tower, so that he might spend some time with his beloved. Never had he thought that the moment he walked into the garden, he'd be presented with the sight of Alice, her body covered in blood, asleep in Ace's arms. For a moment he'd been paralyzed, he'd thought she was dead, until he saw the soft rise and fall of her chest with her rapid breathing. No, she hadn't passed away, but if she didn't get a doctor soon, she would. He'd glared at Ace.

"What have you done?" Without thinking, he'd taken his pistol and shot at the knave, who had dodged, set Alice down gently on a stretcher that had just barely arrived, and deflected each and every bullet with his sword, leading the enraged shooter away from the injured girl. Unlike normal though, Ace wasn't smiling, nor was he taunting the white rabbit. He'd simply waited until the prime minister had tired himself out. The garden was in shambles. The hedges had random holes, the gazebo was irreparable, and the table had been broken in half. The two guests of Alice were nowhere to be found, and neither was the Queen. Peter assumed they'd gone inside to stay with Alice. Several clocks littered the ground, servants who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The rabbit looked to Ace for an explanation.

"I never meant for this to happen." Was all he had said before walking into the castle, following a maid whom he ordered to take him to Alice's room. The knave, like Peter, waited for the doctors to be done attending her. Occasionally her two family members would check in, but after witnessing the fight in the garden, neither person wanted much to do with Peter, and Ace seemed to make the man nervous. Peter mulled over this for a moment after the sister's most recent visit when the doctor came out of the spare bedroom, and stated that Alice's condition was stable. She would live, but due to the fact that she'd never been shot before, her body would take some time to heal. He said not to expect her to wake up anytime soon.

**/*\**

**Welp. She didn't die. One of my friends read this, and I got four full texts of all-caps gibberish and angry emoji's. She demanded the release of the new chapter immediately because she was scared that Alice had died. Yes, because one tiny bullet could totally kill the Jabberwocky. I need to do more cliffhangers like that. ;P**

**-Static**


	15. Chapter 15

**So what's up friends? Sorry I haven't been updating as often, I got busy! x.x**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice took in her surroundings, shocked, and uncertain as to whether or not this development made her happy. She stood up, her hem of her skirt resting comfortably against the top of her knees, and cautiously, she made her way towards the house. She passed through the garden gate, and opened the door. It appeared as though no one were home.

"Lorina? Father?" She'd called up the stairs with no answer. She shrugged, and investigated her room. Everything looked the same as before. Her canopied bed was sitting where it always had, her dresser, moved to the side of her wardrobe. Her one window faced the end of her bed and looked out over the stable where the horses lived, and the wallpaper was an obnoxious shade of pink. She'd never liked pink. Alice splayed a hand over the pale blue coverlet, and crawled up onto the mattress. She laid down, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. It had been a long time it seemed, since she'd rested in her own bed.

/*\

Peter was unrelenting in his attendance of Alice. He wouldn't leave the chair at the foot of her bed. When the King was insistent that he couldn't take the rabbits share of work, maids and servants would bring in a desk and he'd scribble across the paper, glancing at the woman with every signature. When it came time for meals, he'd wait for Ace to bring his food. As for hygiene? Well, unwilling to leave the woman he so adored, he'd simply use the bathroom adjoining her room. It had only been three days, but already, he was scared she wouldn't wake.

They had no way of feeding her. They could get her to drink water in her unending slumber, and they could get her to sip broth, but there was no way they could get her real food, which didn't help the healing process at all. When Peter consulted the nurses, they said that - while changing her clothes and bathing her - they were already starting to see her bones show through her skin. Dragons were far more resilient than other creatures, but Peter was scared all the same. If she didn't wake up soon, she would die.

/*\

Blood was furious, and that was an understatement. First, she turns into a reptile. Next, she shuns him for the entire year, and now...now one of the enemy gangs took a shot at her, and they got lucky. The leader of the Hatters was pacing his office, trying to figure out his next move. He'd been thinking for hours, and still he had no idea what to do. Growling in frustration, he took out his tension on his desk. He flipped it over, and glared down at the scattered paperwork.

When Vivaldi had come to visit him in their secret garden that evening, he'd been expecting to hear about the get-together they'd had. His sister was supposed to have persuaded the Jabberwocky to at least have a conversation with Blood. He was convinced she'd have succeeded. Alice could never say no to his sister. However the moment he saw the expression on the Queen's face...He knew something bad had happened.

Vivaldi had explained that Alice had brought her sibling and the woman's husband, at Lorina's insistence. She stated that Ace had showed up, and asked about Charles's scandal with Alice and Lorina. Enraged, Alice had drug Ace away, and when they returned, Ace had been carrying Alice in his arms, and she had been covered in blood.

She told him about the prisoner in the dungeon, and that when Ace wasn't wallowing in guilt and self-pity, he'd been interrogating the prisoner, but so far, no useful information had been gained. According to the description that the Queen had given the Mafia boss of this prisoner, he sounded like one of the foot-soldiers for a rebel group called the Vipers. Blood was more than familiar with them. The only reason that they weren't the ruling crime syndicate in Wonderland was because all the Mafia Role-Holders belonged to the Hatters.

Blood was staring down at the mess he'd made when a timid knock on the door caught his attention.

"What?" He'd snarled, forgetting that he needed to appear composed for his subordinates. A sigh could be heard from behind the door, and Elliot spoke.

"Henry just heard about what happened to Alice. He wants to go to the castle with the little girl."

/*\

Alice didn't know how long she'd sat on the comfortable expanse of her sheets back in London, but she didn't care. She was still adjusting to the fact that she was still human. She'd gotten so used to Wonderland. She'd gotten used to the blatant murdering, the horrific Rules of the Game, even her Role. She'd been a queen on the chessboard, but it had never been clear who her rooks and knights and pawns were. She didn't want to know either. She had become powerful beyond her wildest dreams. She'd hesitantly fallen in love, she'd been burned by that love, and then she'd lived alone as the "Dragon Queen". She'd made friends and enemies and she wouldn't have traded them for anything.

And now she'd come to the realization that they hadn't been real.

She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. If someone were to find her up here weeping over figments of her imagination, she'd be committed to the madhouse for sure. Wait, committed? Suddenly, a memory flashed over her, but a glimpse, but just enough to cause confusion. She remembered there being a cell with soft walls. A small, uncomfortable cot and...a straitjacket?

Suddenly she was broken out of her reverie by voices downstairs.

/*\

Ace smiled grimly at the man before him. He was in the dungeon with the faceless assassin, and he was not looking good. The dungeon wasn't like Joker's prison. There were no personal facilities, nor did the prisoners have the freedom to roam their cells. The man was chained to the muddy brick wall with rusty manacles, his hair was greasy, and his clothes were tattered. Alice had been in a coma for the equivalent of three days in her home world, and standard interrogation techniques had been getting the officials of Heart Castle nowhere. _Finally_, the Queen had ordered that more drastic actions be taken.

Ace looked over the vast assortment of pain-inducing instruments, and opted for a small knife, built for precision rather than brute force, in the manner of a scalpel. If a scalpel was built for the sole purpose of causing extreme agony, that is. He approached the weakened and emaciated body before him, and knelt down to eye level. The man was exhausted and in pain. The Knave got the feeling that it wouldn't be much longer until he gave in.

Ace was not inexperienced in the art of torture. He wasn't up to Mafia standards by any stretch, but he knew enough that he could get information out of just about anyone. He held the serrated blade up so the faceless could see.

"You know," He said in a deceptively curious voice, investigating the knife, "There's some debate about whether or not it's more painful to be cut here," he harshly grabbed the mans left hand and drug the blunt side of the blade in between his first two knuckles, "Or here," he moved the knife over the tendon connecting the index finger to the thumb. "If you don't tell me what I want to know," Ace said sweetly, "You get to find out."

/*\

Pierce was frantically trying to sort out Alice's paperwork. He knew what was what, where to sign, and where to send each document to, but did there have to be _this much_?! The stack of paper before him weighed almost ten pounds, and most of it was reading over highly-specific treaty conditions. He had vague ideas about what to reject and what to accept, but by God, he needed help lest the Jabberwocky got better and returned home to see that he'd accidentally signed half her land away.

"Gray, get out of the kitchen! The rat needs your help!" A sickly voice called. Pierce quelled his irritation at the word 'rat'. He was clearly a mouse! Just then, a face appeared at the entrance of the door, and Pierce had never felt more admiration or respect for anyone in his life.

"So Pierce," The lizard started kindly, "What do you need help with?" Whilst ignoring a dream-demon whining over how much he hated work and the cold. The Dormouse couldn't help but wonder how this God-send in front of him was still sane.

**/*\**

**I felt like it was getting really dark, so I decided to end it with a little bit of Pierce trying to manage the Tower all on his own. Poor mouse. I feel like I don't give him enough of a part in this story, considering he's Alice's assistant. Then again, Alice is no Nightmare, and therefore does not need a nanny. xD Also: before I get complaints about Alice becoming malnourished during her comatose state, this story takes place in strictly Victorian times. There is no electricity or flashlights or modern medicine, like how there is in some of the spin-off manga. During the 1800s, there was no such thing as a food replacement IV. They can get her to drink liquids because there are pressure points in the throat that can force a person to swallow involuntarily, but there's no way to get someone to eat in their sleep.**

**-Static**


	16. Chapter 16

**More updates? More updates. Review please! :D**

**-Static**

**/*\**

When Alice heard the voices downstairs, she jumped up to meet them when something had occurred to her. When Alice fell asleep in the garden and had that absurd dream of being tossed down a hole, she'd been expecting Lorina to return with a deck of cards. Surely Lorina had realized that Alice had fallen unconcious once more, and so retreated back into the house. Why had she left? It was highly uncustomary to leave Alice - anyone - outside, alone and asleep. They'd have never left her unattended in such a state. What was going on?

Cautiously, Alice descended the stairs to see her father, Edith, Lorina and...herself. Alice looked down the stairs at _herself_. While that was definitely odd, what was even stranger was that Charles was there, and had his right arm wrapped around the other Alice's shoulders. As the girl continued down, it appeared as though none of the other people knew she was there. She even went up to her other self and waved a hand in front of her eyes. No response. Alice stepped back, lowering her arm. Observing the situation, Alice concluded that this was, in fact, the dream.

She watched as they all sat at the dinner table, her father at the head, Edith to left, Lorina to his right, and then dream-Alice next to Lorina, and Charles next to dream-Alice. Suddenly, Alice - the real one - had a flashback. She remembered this dinner. This was the night before Charles split away from her, for her sister.

/*\

Nightmare observed the girl's slumber from his place in the tower. He was hiding from Gray up in the rafters of Alice's office, and he was asleep. In the dream realm, Nightmare did not have to appear sickly, nor did he have to endure the freezing cold of the winter at Clover - or in this case, Jabberwocky - Tower. There were a great many reasons he would choose to spend his time in another plane of existence, but right now...there was no opportunity for fun.

Nightmare watched as Alice tried to get the attention of her double, and then he saw her lean back against a wall, utterly confused. This was not good. If Alice was forced to relive some of the most painful moments of her life in such an unstable physical state...who knew what could happen. Nightmare wanted nothing more than to intervene, and in accordance with the Rules, he should have been able to. Something else was blocking him, and that only provoked more alarms.

Gray had suddenly barged into the workroom and threw a pillow at the sleeping incubus. Nightmare was suddenly wrenched from his spot keeping watch in the dream realm, and in barely one second, was returned to the real world. Something had hit him in his side, a bit hard, and he fell off his perch in the rafters. He rubbed his head and glared at the lizard. The one time he's actually doing something important and his aide just _had_ to find him.

"I will have you know that I was actually working this time." He growled. Gray raised an eyebrow,

"Were you now?" Clearly, the former assassin did not believe him. Nightmare sighed. It was true. He cried wolf an awful lot.

"I was checking in on Alice." This got the other man's attention, "She needs to wake up. Now, before something bad happens. Something's blocking my influence, and if she continues to see more and more of her memories..." And Gray understood. They needed to get the Jabberwocky back to the Tower. Soon.

/*\

Julius made it to Jabberwocky Tower the moment Gray and Nightmare had gotten into the carriage. Before it took off, Gray had seen him, and ordered the driver to pause. Obviously, the Clockmaker was quite confused when the demon's nanny ran up to him, clearly panicked.

"What's going on?" He asked uneasily, and Gray explained the situation in full. Julius listened attentively, and with each passing word, his anxiety grew more and more. Once the lizard was finished speaking, the Clockmaker raced to the carriage alongside the assassin.

_We were too late._

/*\

Blood had allowed the man and his little girl to depart for the castle. Right now, the dragon was dreaming, and would be completely unaware of their presence.

The twins had asked to go as well, and Blood had humored them on the condition that they report back on everything that happened. He had a theory about what was really going on. He found himself regretting that he had brought Alice's family to Wonderland, and was starting to think that maybe it hadn't been his smartest move. He'd wanted merely to get the girl's attention, not this.

/*\

Peter noticed the moment something changed. He'd signed yet another bit of paperwork and then...her body tensed up. He set the pen down and watched. Was she going to wake up?

She whimpered in her sleep and her back arched. Her fists clenched, and her face looked pained, then she cried out. Her stitches had torn open from the sudden movement and blood was leaking everywhere. Peter still remained calm. He yelled for the nurses and took hold of her shoulders, trying to restrain her upper body, so that she wouldn't hurt herself further. This only made the thrashing increase. Peter didn't allow himself to be truly alarmed until her eyes opened.

/*\

The Bloody Twins were ecstatic when Boss had said that they could go see big sis. He didn't look happy, and they had to tell him all the details when they got back, but still, they got to go.

When they exited the carriage in front of the castle, they ran up the stairs. Even if she was asleep and wouldn't be able to hear them, they wanted to check up on her. They'd heard she hadn't been doing very well, and they wanted to help in any way they could. Once they got to her floor however, they heard screaming.

Dee and Dum looked to one another, and then back down the hallway. There were faceless in medical uniforms crowding around a door. As one of the doctors went in, he was promptly thrown back out and into the opposite door by a long silver...whip? No, that was big sis's tail. In fact, that was her screaming. The twins, now quite alarmed, dashed up to the room. They were smaller than the adult faceless, and so sis's tail didn't quite manage to capture either one of them. Dee had managed to get a hold of the point, and Dum was left to wrangle the rest into submission. With her tail having been rendered useless, sis started crying.

As the twins got the tail under control, they looked up to see Peter and Ace holding down each one of her arms while a doctor tried to restitch the bullet hole in her chest. She was shrieking,

"No, _no, NO_!" she shouted, her wings tangling in the sheets as she tried to expand them.

"Was she always this afraid of needles?!" Ace asked, dismayed. Even using both arms to restrain her one right arm, he was still having trouble. His muscles strained against hers, and still every few moments, she was able to lift her arm up a few inches. Of course, Alice was much stronger than any of them now, but it took a whole four other Role-Holders to keep her mostly still. The twins had even had to resort to using their adult forms, as her tail was too strong for their normal selves to keep a good grip on it. It was to this that Alice's entire family entered the room to. They'd walked through the door, and seeing her thrashing on the bed, they'd all retreated to a nearby corner of the stupidly large red room, where her absurdly long tail couldn't reach them. Horrified, Charles and Henry stood in front of the two sisters as they watched the third convulse on the bed.

"No!" Alice sobbed, "I will not go back to that _place_!" That was when Ace and the Twins truly realized what was going on. She wasn't upset over the needle, she hadn't even woken up. She was hallucinating. Tears streaming down her face, another bout of strength rolled through her body. For a moment, she managed to shove both Ace and Peter off of her, and her tail had slithered around Dee's ankle and slammed him into the wall as she continued to shriek that she would rather die than go back, and that in itself was enough to truly worry the twins. Sis treasured life more than anyone else, even as a Role-Holder. What could she be talking about, that she'd prefer death to whatever this 'place' was? Then, strangely enough, while everyone was still in a panic, and after the two residents of Heart Castle had recaptured her arms, Peter had released her, and run a hand through her hair.

"Alice," He said. Why was he speaking with an accent? "Alice, it's alright. It's me, Doctor Williams." Her freed arm had risen up to clutch his hand, trying to remove it from her hair, but as he spoke she relaxed.

"Doctor Williams?" She asked, petrified, but listening. She was now still enough that the actual doctor could start sewing the wound back up. Her tail continued to struggle against the twins' hold, but she was calming down.

"Yes, Alice," Peter said in an even tone, "It's me. Remember what I said Alice? You do not ever have to go back. It's just a bad dream."

"Just a bad...dream?" And as she tilted her head at the rabbit questioningly, the twins could see her eyes. The shade of blue had paled considerably, and her pupils had slit so thin, that they almost couldn't see them. She had been truly afraid, and the twins were worried and angry and confused at this 'place' that had her weeping at the mere thought of it.

"Yes Alice," Peter cooed, "Just a bad dream. Can you wake up now?"

"Wake up..." She trailed off, and then her head rested back on the pillow. Her eyes were still open, but her breathing had evened out and her pupils were dilating.

"She's...catatonic?" Dee questioned, his deeper voice ringing through the room loudly.

"So it would seem." Peter answered, "We need to get Nightmare here." He turned to spit some orders at a few card guards who were peering curiously into the room when the twins had suddenly turned on Alice's family.

"What did she mean, 'that place'?" Their voices in unison were creepy as children, but as adults, it was outright terrifying. Henry and Charles looked at each other uneasily, but Edith and Lorina...they appeared quite confused.

**/*\**

**Am I really ending it here? Yes. Know why? BECAUSE I CAN! What has the now all-powerful Alice so terrified? I guess you'll find out in the next update! R&amp;R! :D **

**-Static**


	17. Chapter 17

**And for you: another update! Because I'm nice like that. I think after this I'm gonna update this story every other day instead of every day. I wrote a one-shot called "Obnoxious" and a reviewer made a very good point. It might be fun to continue, so I'm gonna try my hand at that. Anyways, enjoy!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

The Liddell siblings were scared. First, they walked in on their sister screaming in her sleep and covered in her own blood. Next, they watched her throw one of the Bloody Twins into a wall. Now, said twins were glaring down at their father and Charles. They knew something about the place that Alice had been wailing about, and for some reason, they wouldn't speak.

"We torture people for a living." One of them growled, "Believe me when I say you don't want us to _make_ you talk." The other simply crossed his arms. Henry's eyes narrowed, and he was about to say something when three more people walked into the room.

"I heard that you wanted to see me?" A voice inquired, and the twins turned to see the Nightmare. Wait, that wasn't possible. Peter had sent for him two minutes ago. It should have taken hours to get the communication out, and hours more for him to get here. The demon's gaze flicked to the brothers, "I was already on my way here." He explained, "I, myself, was trying to interfere with Alice's dream, and I should have been able to. The Role is blocking my influence." The twins were confused,

"Why would her Role block you?"

"That's easy," a new voice stated. "The Jabberwocky isn't like the other Roles. It resents not being the dominant personality in the physical body. Our Roles are content to merely remind us of our duties, but hers..." the Clockmaker trailed off, "Hers wants to take complete control. It's part of the reason that the dragon had been dropped from the Game."

"So this is like demonic possession?" ten-year-old Edith asked, more than a little scared. Julius looked down to the little girl and nodded,

"A little, but there is a chance that she can recover from this and repress it once more."

"How do you know that?" Gray asked,

"The Clockmaker and Jabberwocky Roles are closely affiliated. A little like you and the worm, but on more equal ground."

"I am a _caterpillar_." The demon piped up from his chair, having sat down to get comfortable. "Now all of you, get out. In order to meet up with her in the dream realm, I must fall asleep too, and I can't do that with all the chatter." And so with a shooing motion of his hands, everyone left the demon to fix Alice's psyche.

/*\

At some point in the dream, Alice and her dream-self had become one. She didn't really know when it happened, but one moment she was observing the situation from an outside perspective, and the next she was facing Charles as he broke her heart in two. She couldn't stand up and run away from the garden, nor could she stop the tears from flowing down her face. She had absolutely no control over her body, and so was forced to reenact the memory perfectly.

She'd be lying if she said it didn't still hurt, the way he'd used her. She'd known from the start that he hadn't loved her. She'd been intent on making his life a living hell, but somehow the tables had been turned on her. Her weak heart and mind had developed affections for him, and now the joke was on her.

To make matters worse, she was the one being punished. Her father had come up to her room and knocked on the door. When Alice bade him to come in, he sat with her on the edge of her bed.

"Alice, I am so sorry it went like this." He said, taking her hand in both of his.

"I was a fool." She stated, "I only took him as a suitor to humor you. I never intended to feel anything for him and now..." She sighed and looked down at her blue dress. Throughout the years, she'd had wearable replicas made of all her clothing from when she was but five years old. It was all a part of her scheme to scare away every suitor to ever show up at their doorstep, but this time it hadn't worked. This time she'd been the one who got burned.

"Your sister agreed to court him." Henry stated, and Alice's heart stopped.

"What?! Lorina agreed..." and for a moment, her father assumed she was enraged, but one look at her face and it was clear. She was not angry, but rather scared. Very scared. "The scandal...Everyone will shun her! Lorina won't be able to take it! She loves everyone so much...it would hurt her..." Alice trailed off, more than a little horrified, and her father's expression turned pained.

"Alice..." He stated, "We can make everything okay for them." He said gently, and Alice tilted her head to the side, confused. How could they...? But then she understood his suggestion. In fact, their neighbors had done a similar thing. The man had preferred Naomi to her sister, Theresa, although he'd been courting Theresa from the start. In order to fix the issue, to avoid a large scandal, they'd sent Theresa to...

"No." Alice said, "No, you can't do this. I did nothing wrong! If anyone should have to go to that place it should be _him_." she choked out, her anger finally showing. No. No, no, no... This couldn't be happening...

"I've already sent for the authorities. Don't worry Alice. I told them the madness was mild. A mere delusion of the mind. It's not as if you attempted to kill anyone." His words, meant to be soothing, sent Alice into a rage.

"_But I'm not mad!_" She shouted, her father swore, saying something about how it was good that Charles had taken Edith and Lorina out of the house.

"Alice calm down, it's just for a week!"

"A _week_?" She questioned, "Father, you've heard about what happens in that place. Why would you send me _there_? There are so many different hospitals, so many better ones..."

"You know that's all rumors. Theresa Fox went there for a week and she wasn't too worse for wear."

"_Theresa Fox killed herself._" Henry groaned,

"Yes, because her mother died, not because of the asylum." And then Alice heard the clopping of horse hooves, then knocking on the door. She looked at her doorway, horrified. Her father left the room, and Alice had promptly opened the window. She'd live on the streets before she went _there_, but no luck. The officers escorting the ambulance had come up the stairs when she was halfway out. They'd grabbed her before she fell out, and she'd hit and kicked and screamed, and been wrangled into a straitjacket. The men had drug her down the stairs, and threw her into the back of the carriage as she sobbed into the cold flooring.

When she arrived, she didn't fight. At this point, there was nothing to be done except hope that the worst of the hospitals' horrors did not reach her. They introduced her to a man they called Doctor Williams. He was going to be in charge of her progress, and he seemed nice enough. He was outraged at the sight of her in a straitjacket, saying those were reserved for violent inmates, and demanded it be removed. Upon hearing about the fight she'd put up, he quieted and whispered to Alice that he'd make sure she could get rid of the thing within the next couple days. He'd put his arm around her shoulder in what she'd assumed was meant to be a comforting gesture, and led her towards the gate.

'Bethlam Royal Hospital' the marker said, but like everyone else in all of England, Alice knew this place by a different name.

Bedlam.

/*\

The Bloody Twins were horrified by what they'd just heard.

"You sent big sis..._there_?" Dum had whispered, backing away a step. After Nightmare had demanded that everyone get lost, the twins had conspired with Ace. Alice's siblings clearly hadn't known what she was talking about during her hallucination, but the men...the men knew more than they told.

After a few moments, Ace had gone up to both Henry and Charles and started a conversation. While those two were distracted, the twins got everyone else in on the scheme. Gray would stay with Edith and Lorina, as he was by far the friendliest of them. It certainly helped that he didn't share the same peculiar psychopathy as his companions. After living most of his life as an assassin, he wanted no more part in death and blood and murder. He'd volunteered to stay behind upon the mention of the dungeons.

Next, they persuaded a few cards to go inform the Queen of their plan, and to humbly contract her assistance. It would not do to have Alice find out they traumatized her innocent sisters in their quest for information. Now they just had to wait for the Queen's response.

/*\

Once the Queen had 'invited' Alice's two sisters for tea - it must have been dreadful to watch their dear sister suffer through a night terror, she said - their conspiracy went all too well. Once Gray had offered to accompany the two, and led them to the Queen's bedroom alongside a couple of cards, Ace had promptly grabbed Charles and held a dagger to his neck.

"Make a sound and he dies." Ace had stated cheerfully in Henry's direction. When the man said nothing, he looked down to his prisoner. "Goes for you too mate." As Ace drug Charles down to the underbelly of the castle - with directional assistance from Peter - the twins walked behind Henry, ensuring that he followed. Julius trailed from further behind.

Upon arriving at his destination, Ace threw Charles into a cell, and Henry was pushed in next. After that, four of the Role-Holders entered the decrepit room.

"Peter?" Ace questioned,

"I'm going to stay with Alice. If she has another episode, someone needs to be able to calm her down." Ace shrugged, and locked everyone in while the rabbit trekked back into the more glamorous part of the building. The twins had already gotten started. Still adults, they looked down at the two men whom they'd shoved into chairs at a small, rectangular table. They stood at each side, making their prisoners feel even more caged in. Ace took the chair opposite of the two, and Julius retreated to the left corner of the room, leaning against the cells bars.

"What was she talking about?" Ace asked,

"What do you mean?" Charles retorted. The Knave laughed,

"Hehehe, didn't your mother teach you it was rude to answer a question with a question?" He leaned forward, his face quickly becoming cold. "The 'place' Alice was talking about." His tone frosted over, each syllable dripping with threats, "What is it?" Henry opened his mouth to speak, but Charles lifted his hand, silencing him. Maybe he and the Mafia Boss weren't that different after all.

"We don't know you. Why should we tell you?" Ace smirked,

"Because we have you locked in a cell. Down here in the dungeons, I have the authority to do as I please. If you don't tell me what the hell Alice is hallucinating about, I leave you in the hands of those two." He used both hands to point to the twins, "They're Mafia, you see, and so know a great deal more about torture than I do." Ace nonchalantly leaned to the side of his chair, purposely letting the pair of men see his most recent project. They both noticeably paled, but before either got a chance to speak, the prisoner in the opposite cell started laughing.

"Alice...The Jabberwocky...she's going to kill us all!" He giggled.

/*\

Doctor Williams had come to England from Wales, Alice learned, thus explaining his odd accent. His father had been British, and since he wanted to study medicine, he'd been sent to apprentice under a doctor in England. He'd only been recently promoted, and Alice was his first real patient.

He led her to his office. It wasn't the nicest she'd seen, but it didn't look like it belonged to a complete amateur either. Bookshelves lined the walls where there were no windows. The curtains were pulled back tidily. The desk was neat and organized, and a stack of paperwork sat on the edge with a quill and pen. He lowered himself into his spot at said desk, and she sat in the chair opposite his, and they started talking.

"Your father told me what happened, but I'd like to hear your side." And she told him. She'd explained about the conversation she'd eavesdropped on, the day before she'd formally met Charles. She told him that while he was courting her, he was secretly trying to woo Lorina. Then she told him that Charles had finally dismissed her, his goal reached, her usefulness expired, and had her father send her to Bedlam under the guise of madness so as to avoid scandal.

"I believe you." that was the last thing she'd expected to hear.

"I-" but she'd been interrupted,

"We've had a case quite similar. In fact, we've gotten several patients from families wanting to avoid scandals, much like yours. However, not everyone sees it that way. Many are urging me to treat you as I would the patients who are legitimately insane. I don't want to do that, but I'm too new at my job to hold any real influence." He stated sadly, "Unfortunately, I cannot send you home, not now, but if you keep your head low and voice quiet, I may be able to get you out of here sooner than a week." He smiled hopefully at her. Alice wasn't sure she trusted him, not yet. She'd heard about the 'friendly' doctors at this place, but for now, he was her only ally.

/*\

When the prisoner had started ranting on about the Jabberwocky's inevitable destruction of Wonderland, Ace had told him to pipe down. The Knave had assumed that the previous bouts of torture had rendered him insane. In fact, he wondered why the faceless wasn't dead yet, but no, the prisoner had only gotten louder.

"That's it," Ace had finally had enough, "I'm pretty sure the Queen ordered you executed anyways, but I can't stand it anymore." His sword had shifted into a shotgun, and he was about to shoot through the cell bars when the man said something interesting.

"The madness will get her and the storm shall persevere, but not if we kill her first!" Ace still wanted to shoot him, but Julius had place his hand over the barrel of the gun, lowering it.

"Let me handle this." He'd stated nonchalantly. Ace raised an eyebrow. The Clockmaker was not a violent man. Ace didn't think he'd ever seen Julius use a gun even. More than a little confused, Ace opened the cell door and let the man through.

"What are you talking about?" Julius asked, and the prisoner cackled maniacally.

"Wouldn't you like to know Clockbi-" but before the faceless could finish the slur, Julius had seized a knife and backhanded the man across the face.

"I tried asking nicely," He stated, and as the spectacle continued, the Bloody Twins watched, entranced.

"Whoa! I thought only we knew that trick!"

"I know brother! He cut open that tendon perfectly!" As they all watched Julius work - some with horror and some with interest - the twins looked to one another.

"We don't give the Clockmaker enough credit." Dee stated, and Dum couldn't help but agree.

"I never thought a guy like him could turn out to be so scary." He replied.

**/*\**

**Dang, who knew Julius was capable of such things. Wasn't he kind of the only sane person throughout most of the series? Meh, it strikes me he'd have to know some stuff. Ace couldn't have always been his bodyguard. R&amp;R!**

**-Static**


	18. Chapter 18

**I need you guys to do two things for me please: R&amp;R, and answer the poll on my profile!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

The mad faceless refused to give in. Eventually, he died of the blood loss, and Julius was left rather frustrated. All his efforts...pointless. He got no information of any value. He should have been paying better attention. Though to be fair, it had been a very long time since he'd had to do something like that, and so he couldn't be blamed if he was a bit rusty. He placed his knife back on the table, and reentered the cell with his companions.

"Correction." Ace had turned on Charles and Henry, "If you don't start talking, and soon, I leave you with _him_." he stated, smirking triumphantly. If even the Role-Holders had been surprised at the spectacle, they could only imagine what the Foreigners thought. The Bloody Twins looked at Julius with renewed respect and awe.

"I regret ever calling you creepy." Dum commented, while Dee merely rolled his eyes. Julius didn't respond, but merely took his place at the corner of the cell once more, as though nothing remotely disturbing had happened, and he could pretend that was so. Not a speck of blood or gore had gotten on his impeccably clean jacket or waistcoat. He looked as though he'd just returned from a small outing, rather than a bout of torture. Both of Alice's relatives had gone pale, and her father looked as though he might retch. No, it would not take much to get the old man talking. While Charles insisted that Henry keep silent, Ace had poked and prodded and threatened them with the Clockmaker's skills. The final straw was when the knave stabbed a dagger into the table out of frustration. He felt that he needed to do more, but as much as he'd have liked to use harsher tactics, he was already on Alice's bad side. It would not help his case if he left her father or brother-in-law irreparably mutilated.

"We sent her to Bedlam!" Henry had blurted, "The place she was talking about. Bethlem Royal Hospital. The poor started to call it 'Bedlam', and the term stuck." Now that didn't sound good. In Wonderland, bedlam was a word synonymous with "chaos" or "madness". It had a rather negative connotation, and so this bit of information did not please Henry's captors.

"'Bedlam'," Ace had repeated the word, "Tell me about it, what sorts of things happen there that it would have Alice screaming to kill her instead." And to Charles' dismay, Henry told them everything.

/*\

The first three days of Bedlam were wrought with terror. Each day and night, Alice could hear the high-pitched voices of women screaming for someone to stop. Each day and night, men were stifling their sobs as their temples were electrocuted. Every so often, a creepy doctor would open the window in her cell door, look at her for a few minutes, and then walk away. Alice had known that some horrible things happened in this God-forsaken place, but until she was forced to confront it, to live with the thought that some of these atrocities might happen to her, she had never understood the phrase "fate worse than death".

Alice looked up as the door opened. It was Doctor Williams, with her dinner and a small dose of laudanum. The doctor had ensured that he was the only person with access to her cell, and for that she was grateful. So far, he had not tried to impose himself in an unwanted manner, which had been her main concern. He was not a proponent of electro-shock therapy, which had been her next worry. The last, he did not desire to give her huge doses of medicine. However, the hospital required that he give her _something_ to erase her imaginary insanity, and so he came up with the excuse of small doses of laudanum.

In his report, he'd made something up about a lack of sleep leading to delusions. As a result, he only wanted to prescribe her a sleeping aid. She was reluctant to take it, but he was bound by the absurd rules of the asylum. So each night for however long her stay would be, she would take a medicine she did not need, and fall into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.

/*\

Nightmare was lost in the chaos of Alice's mind. The space was black, but for walls of floating fragments that took the appearance of shattered mirror fragments. He'd take one in hand, be forced to observe whatever memory he held for about two minutes, and then be thrown back into the darkness to search out a new event.

He sifted through memories upon memories, but unfortunately, she remembered a _lot_. The dragon wanted Alice to break, thus allowing it to take dominion in her body, so it had thrown the dream demon far back to her earliest recollections. In two hours, he'd only advanced through the timeline two years. He struggled to get to the forefront of her mind faster, but at this point, he honestly didn't know how much longer she would be able to hold on. However, here he had one advantage: He was able to control time in the dream realm, and since the mind is an extension of this realm, he was able to force the memory of the hospital to take longer to play out.

/*\

Once Henry had told them all what had happened, it was clear that Charles was the least compassionate of the two. He did not appear to be completely weighed down with guilt, in the manner of Alice's father. He'd wanted something, he found a way to get it, and life went on. That was how he viewed it, and the Twins were disgusted.

"You sent big sis..._there_?" Dum had asked, appalled. Dee was silent with rage. Ace gazed at the two men in front of him with a carefully blank expression, and no one could see Julius's face behind his absurdly long hair.

"Yes, we did." Charles had responded, glaring up at the boy-turned-man. "We had no choice."

"Is that your excuse?" Dee asked, "If you really see it that way, you must be stupid."

"Or cowardly." Dum pitched in,

"If anything happened for no reason," Dum continued slowly,

"It was her suffering." Dee finished. The twins looked to Ace,

"Knave of Hearts, we humbly ask for permission to use this dungeon and it's prisoners." They spoke the formality easily, as if they were certain of the results, but for naught. Ace's blood-red eyes had darkened, and the twins knew that they were not going to get their shot at big sis's relatives. At least, they wouldn't get the _first_ shot.

"Let me talk to them a little more first." The knave stated, "You two should go keep an eye on Alice with Peter. If she has another episode, he may need help." As much as the twins wanted to protest, this was Heart Castle. They had no authority here, and the expression on Ace's face told them the issue was not up for debate. They mumbled to themselves about 'getting them later', but they left the cell, and trekked up the stairs without pause. Though irritated, the Twins knew a great deal about patience. Their chance would come. Shortly after their departure, another chair had appeared at the table, and Julius sat down as well.

"Let me tell you what really happened in the garden."

/*\

Julius couldn't decide what he felt. First and foremost, seething rage at Ace. Why would he tell Alice he was going to kill her family? Didn't he see that she'd been under enough stress already without having to deal with his antics? Second, intense satisfaction. Again, Ace had threatened to kill Alice's family, and she was near death and/or insanity because she had been trying to defend them from a man who was much more on her side than they were.

"I still want you dead." Ace had stated, finishing the tale, "If it wasn't for the fact that Alice would never forgive me, neither of you would still be breathing, especially after what you've just said." Under normal circumstances, guilt never worked. However, these were not normal circumstances, and it was doing the trick. "In case you haven't noticed, pretty much everyone - at least everyone of importance - adores Alice."

"Does that include you?" Charles asked contemptuously, and Ace chuckled.

"Not at all. She and I have...an understanding, so I really can't afford for her to die or go insane. Not just yet, however your former host, Blood Dupre," Ace continued, "The rumor is that he brought all four of you here in order to get her attention. That's what they were saying right?" He looked to Julius for conformation. After the Clockmaker nodded his head, an amused smirk hiding under his hair, Ace continued, "Since the transformation she's shunned him heavily, in fact," his gaze slanted to Henry, "Didn't he ask your permission to be with her?" Charles looked at the Liddell sisters' father, shocked.

"Is that true?!" Henry glared at his son-in-law, and nodded.

"For whatever reason, he wants Alice." Charles snorted,

"Probably because she has actual power now." he mumbled,

"Would you _not_ insult the dying girl just now?" Julius intervened, irritated, "It's quite rude you know."

Charles fell silent. After watching the long-haired man torture the other prisoner to death, he didn't want to aggravate him. He knew nothing would happen - they didn't want to upset his silly sister-in-law - but he still felt it necessary to have a healthy amount of fear of this particular man. Charles got the feeling that 'Julius' knew this. Then Ace called everyone back to attention.

"Now here's what's going to happen," Ace stated, "When Alice wakes up in full health - and for your sake, you'd better hope she does - you're not going to tell her about this. Now that we know in detail what the problem is, we can report back to Nightmare, and he can help her stabilize. After this happens, you are going to act completely normal." Charles was going to protest, but one look from Julius rendered him silent.

"Fine. Alice will know nothing of this."

**/*\**

**So it would appear that Charles doesn't care much for Alice. At least not now. This doesn't bode very well, methinks. x3 Also: I know I say this at least twice each chapter: PLEASE REVIEW! Constructive criticism helps me write better!**

**-Static**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello, hello, hello! Alice is going to come back into play soon, I promise!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Gray had never been more humiliated in his life, and that was saying a lot, considering he worked for Nightmare. Gray was a patient man, he really was. Living with the incubus, he had no choice, but this...this almost pushed him over the edge. Almost.

Edith was a sweet little girl. Being quite young, she was not a target of resentment for the other Role-Holders. This meant, however, she didn't quite fear them like she should. Somehow, Gray had found himself accompanying the Queen and Alice's siblings into the rose gardens wearing a bonnet with a pattern of purple flowers at the young girl's insistence. He was fairly certain that she was a bit too old for such antics, but one look from both the Queen and her sister...he didn't really have a choice. Now, the urge to kill that had rested dormant for almost a decade had reared it's ugly head.

He'd been kindly trekking along the paths through the gardens when he finally couldn't take it anymore. Once his three companions turned a corner, and he was completely out of the womens' sight, he'd flicked a knife at a snickering faceless. That made him feel somewhat better.

/*\

Joker grinned at the spectacle before him. He crouched on an elevated plane of shadows, looking down. The entire world was black, but for a labyrinth of silvery shards. The dream demon was trying so hard to get to the memory that Alice was currently enduring. He'd made it to the recollections of her early adolescence, but it was all for naught. _That_ memory was coming too soon. Nightmare would not make it, not without a bit of help at least. Joker knew exactly what was going to happen when subject of his observations failed. The Jabberwocky was going to take Alice's time in the asylum and re-imagine it. This action would ensure that Alice thought something very, very awful was happening. It was horrible enough that it would drive her spirit to fracture, and her soul - wounded beyond immediate repair - would retreat to the back of her mind. The Jabberwocky would have no resistance to taking over, and it would annihilate everything in it's path.

"So Joker," Another man appeared, identical to the one he walked up to, his boots clicking on the invisible floor in the black expanse of nothingness, "What are we to do?" The Warden questioned, his arms crossed, face amused. The Jester grinned and straightened,

"I think," he answered, "That we are going to pay the demon a visit."

/*\

Nightmare had just been thrown out of Alice's fourteenth birthday party when a voice spoke behind him.

"Nightmare." It said, as though it fully expected to have his full attention. The sickly man groaned inwardly. It was a voice he knew and disliked, though he rarely heard it. He turned to look at the newcomer, standing amidst the walls of mirror fragments. Of course, there was only one - two - other people who could use the dream realm.

"You're not going to make it in time." Another stated. The demon whirled to look behind him, and the second man was methodically tapping a riding crop against his boot.

"Not if you insist I stay and chat." Nightmare responded, but the Warden merely laughed.

"You won't make it anyway," The Jester intervened, "Though you managed to slow the progress of her memories, she won't last until you arrive."

"I don't have time for this!" And as Nightmare was about to delve back into the depths of Alice's subconscious, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned to see the Warden, who was no longer smiling.

"We aim to help you." He informed the demon, hooking the crop back onto his belt. "If the dragon wins this fight, all is lost. We have just as much to gain as you do." Then the Warden reverted back to his normal self. "Besides, we'd never want to let that b**** think she's more powerful than us." He commented, gazing at a random, floating shard.

"Why do you call Alice such awful names?" Nightmare asked irritably,

"I wasn't talking about Alice." He deadpanned, his single red eye glaring.

"Ahem," The Jester interrupted, "It's true, we want to help, but we also would much rather do things our way." Nightmare's lone eye narrowed,

"And what exactly is 'your way'?" The Jester smiled, and flourished forward a rectangular object,

"Why don't we discuss this over a game of cards?"

/*\

Alice was having another episode, and this time, Peter could not fix it. No matter how good his Welsh accent was, he could not calm Alice down. She wouldn't respond to any amount of kind words or promises that it was not real. All she could comprehend at the moment were the horrors in her mind. Her body had weakened considerably. She was still very much a threat to group of under four people, but right then her reflexes were slower, her strength just a bit less potent. Ace and Peter held down her arms, while the Bloody Twins once again caught her tail.

No faceless or foreigners dared enter the red, rose-scented spare room. Though Alice's bed resided near the window, she had already split the dresser in half. Two of the chairs had spearhead holes, and the table had been smashed. There were cracks and indents in the wall from impacts, and the crimson paint was slowly chipping away onto the tattered, blood-colored carpet. The one and only piece of furniture that had not been damaged in the girls panic had been the very bed she rested on, and she continued to shriek louder and louder. This time, nothing was going to fix her condition.

"Alice please!" Peter implored, "It's just a nightmare!" And in response, the dragon only wailed louder.

"NO! NO! GET OFF OF ME!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"Alice," Ace tried, "It's alright! Look at me," And for a moment she did, "Look at me, it's Ace!" She almost looked confused, but then went right back to screaming and struggling. Then suddenly, the cracked door opened, and Julius walked in,

"Julius!" Ace cried, "Nothing's helping!" He yelled, momentarily losing his grip on the girl's wrist, but quickly recapturing it and pinning it to her side. Julius was not a doctor, nor was he a friendly man. As much as he liked Alice, he was not good with words. Though she always knew what he meant whenever he fumbled over the syllables, she always knew what he meant. Right now, however, she would not be able to show him such consideration. He feared that his presence in the room would hinder her healing, rather than calm her down. Tempted to run out, Julius backed away as one of the Twins went flying through the air, but then a voice spoke in his head.

_Let me handle this._ The Role said, and promptly took control of the Clockmaker's body.

/*\

Charles and Henry, both quite rattled, had elected to regroup in the boy and Lorina's bedroom. Charles paced in front of the triple window, while the other man sat down in the chair decorating a small, round table stuffed into a corner.

"What are we going to do?!" Charles growled, frustrated.

"It was my fault." Henry murmured, and Charles looked at him confused,

"What?" And then Henry glared at him,

"It was my fault." He stated, "I should have never let you near Alice, near _any_ of my daughters. My child has become a monstrosity, and is now catatonic, stuck inside a memory that should never have come to exist." Henry stood up, "Had it not been for your complete and utter selfishness, I never would have been forced to send her - anyone - to Bedlam." Charles was shocked. Henry had never spoken to him like this - he was, for all intents and purposes, a very broken man - and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do. After about three seconds of simply letting his jaw hang at his father-in-law, he revised his facial expression, and stared the man down.

"Well it's too late for regrets isn't it?" he inquired, "There's nothing to be done for any of this, not now. We need to get Edith and Lorina and take them home." Henry crossed his arms,

"And Alice?" When had Henry ever expressed any sort of concern for the middle daughter?

"You see what she's become, there's no way she would ever live happily back in London. Besides, don't you see how many of the men here are tripping over their heels to please her? She'll be fine." He snorted, "Morons, the lot of them." Henry raised an eyebrow,

"You always treated Alice very, very gently. Never a rough touch, nor a harsh word, not even behind her back, as if she were a piece of delicate china." He stated, "Why the sudden change of heart?" Charles stepped back. It was unlike his father-in-law to be so perceptive.

"Because," he began carefully, "Things have changed. Henry, Alice has become a monster. We cannot allow our feelings to color our judgement. I believe she is a danger."

**/*\**

**So what's the Mortician going to do? Alice, you will awaken soon. I promise! I miss writing her dragon-self. *Quietly weeps in a corner*. As for Charles...What happened to him? Wasn't he described as kind and considerate in the manga? R&amp;R! :D**

**-Static**


	20. Chapter 20

**YOU ONLY HAVE TIL SATURDAY TO VOTE IN THE POLL!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Hatter Mansion was a pristine place. The walls glistened in the manner of polished white marble, and the rooftops were the starkest shade of jet black. The gardens and grasses were the healthiest, and most vibrant of colors. A hat monument adorned a small park within the middle of the place, and the servants were all stylishly and expensively dressed. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a very posh place, where none of the residents could have anything to frown about.

Underneath the shining surface, however, was something just a little more sinister. The interiors of the assorted buildings were decorated tastefully, but there were few signs of comfortable living. Everything was deceptively tidy, to precise to be sincere. Not a pen scratch on a desk, no chair marks in the servants cafeterias, no water stains in the washrooms, not even a single chip in the paint of the walls. This is how it was throughout much of the mansion, most of the buildings being solely for show.

It was in one of these buildings, at the very far back of the property, in the right corner, that there was a secret room. The Hatter entered the unused servants dorm, and unlocked the third apartment to the left on the first floor. He then proceeded to the small office space and turned to the lone bookshelf sitting parallel to one of the two windows sitting behind a desk. He pressed a button residing behind one of the books, a blue encyclopedia to be precise, and a panel in the wall lifted.

The entrance showed a completely different picture, something reminiscent of the Queen's dungeons, but with no natural lighting. The opening in the wall was connected to a stone spiral staircase, and this led down into a room, made entirely of gray stone bricks, containing several cells constructed entirely of iron bars. This was only one of the many torture chambers residing on the land, and Blood had a tendency to visit them whenever he needed to let off some steam, or when his temper flared, or when he was simply bored. Today was a different story. In one of these cells was a prisoner who'd resided in the chambers for a very long time, before even Blood took over the Mafia. It was said that this man had visions of the future, and if the twins were to be believed, such information could be crucial. And beneficial.

/*\

The Mortician of Wonderland was quite disconcerted. It was one thing to have a voice in your head, but quite another for that voice to possess you. Everything still appeared the same, he could see out through his eyes, and process what was happening, but it was different. The room was still obnoxiously red, the abuses to the walls and furniture clear, but there was an edge to his sight that made it seem surreal. He tried to move back to the door only to discover that he had no control over his limbs or vocal chords, and was stuck with merely watching what was going on around him, rather than participating directly. The Role was manipulating everything, and that made him nervous.

After getting over the initial shock, he realized that he was leaning over Alice, still screeching and crying, and his hand placed itself on her cheek.

"Alice," His voice rang out, though not of his own volition, "Wake up." And she stopped, her eyes closed for just a moment, and then they reopened. No longer were they the slit-pupil eyes of a frightened animal, but they had returned to normal. The iris had receded, allowing the whites to show once more, and the black circle of her pupil had dilated a little more. She blinked a few times, and gazed up at him, clearly confused.

"Julius?" she questioned, and he didn't respond. Suddenly his vision cleared, and he could physically feel the skin of her cheek underneath his hand. He jerked away, as if he'd touched the surface of a burning-hot stove, and scrutinized her for a moment. She gazed back at him, equally focused. After a few minutes, she raised an eyebrow, challenging him. He exhaled and softened his expression.

"Hello Alice," He answered gruffly, trying to compose himself after his own mildly traumatic experience, "How are you feeling?" Her eyes closed once more, but her brow scrunched up and her lips formed a pout.

"Like I've been shot in the chest." She answered, trying to sit up, then she hissed in pain, realizing that she really was wounded,

"That's because you _were_ shot in the chest." Ace answered dryly, gently taking hold of her arm and smoothing out her clenched fist. As soon as Alice had stopped struggling, Peter, Ace, and the Twins had released her immediately. They all watched as Alice looked at the knave incredulously, as if trying to remember who, exactly, the grinning man before her was, and then they watched recognition and rage flash in her eyes as she tore her wrist away from him and whipped her hand across his face.

"What the hell was that for?!" He cried out, rubbing the red mark on his cheek.

"You know what that was for." She growled, narrowing her eyes at him. Ace almost looked taken aback, but then his trademark smile once again adorned his face.

"You got scary Alice." Was all he said before walking out the door. The rest was a blur, it all happened so fast. Peter was nice for about two seconds, he asked if Alice felt okay, and then tried to hug her when she confirmed that she was, indeed, fine if a little sore. After she'd yelled at the white devil rabbit for touching her and aggravating her wound, the twins happily grabbed the prime minister and drug him out of the space, wailing eyeroll-inducing pleas to be with his beloved. It was too soon that Julius was left alone with her, and she looked up at him questioningly,

"What happened?" She asked, her eyes brimming with fear and innocence, two traits that most certainly did not befit the dragon.

/*\

Joker had used the fragments of Alice's mind to create two chairs and a table, and now, after almost a hundred years, it was Nightmare's turn to play Blackjack. He wasn't much for gambling or cards, but he made sure he knew how to play this one particular game, because it was Joker's favorite. As Nightmare reluctantly lowered himself in his seat - it seemed awfully disrespectful, using the pieces of a dying girls' mind as furniture - the Jester sat himself comfortably, leaning back as the Warden pulled a deck of cards out of nowhere, and started dealing.

Nightmare watched the cards very, very carefully. One mistake. One mistake, and the Joker would completely destroy Alice's consciousness. He hadn't even told the dream demon what it was he intended to do, but Nightmare knew it was all too possible that his opponents' plan might harm the girl. As each card dropped onto the table, the tension got higher and higher. Eventually he saw it, and slapped his hand down, much to the amusement of the Jester.

"That's a Queen." He stifled his laughter as much as he could. It was too much, the demon couldn't take it anymore. He was sick on the invisible floor where the two - one? - men couldn't see. The Warden scrunched his face up.

"That's disgusting." The Jester snorted,

"Imagine how Alice must feel."

/*\

Julius assisted Alice in sitting up. He arranged her fluffy scarlet - seriously, was there anything in this castle that wasn't red? - pillows so she could comfortably lean back, and she gazed around the room incredulously.

"What _happened_?" She repeated, her eyes falling to the cracks in the walls and the bits and pieces of a broken mirror. Julius sat himself at the foot of her bed, and made her look at him. He froze for almost a whole minute. Julius was not a man of many words, and the few he used often came out very, very wrong, sounding completely different from what he meant. He inhaled, and sorted out his thoughts, carefully choosing the phrases.

"_You_ happened." He answered quietly, his deep, even voice breaking the already fragile silence. Her eyes widened, and though the Clockmaker was not exactly a talkative man, he explained it all in great detail. More than she'd have liked.

He told her about her "episodes", and how she almost killed an assorted amount of faceless. He told her that Ace and Peter had to hold her down so she didn't rampage. He told her about the twins needing to use their grown forms in order to keep her ever-deadly tail restrained, and that she'd even managed to throw Dee into the wall with it. He also told her that her family had seen her in one such state.

"Why did anyone let them in?!" She'd interrupted, "They must have been-!" She was cut off by a growling sound, and even Julius couldn't stop the small smile teasing his lips.

"You also didn't eat while you were...asleep." She noticed the hesitation in that word, but said nothing as he stood up and stepped towards the door. "I should go get you some food. The nurses were starting to say that you looked alarmingly skinny." But, in a moment of childish impulse, she managed to capture his sleeve between her fingers.

"Wait!" He looked back to her in shock, wasn't she starving? However upon meeting her gaze, he could see a hint of fear in her wide blue irises. He was about to reassure her when she then hung her head in embarrassment and released him, "S-sorry." She stuttered out, "It's just..." Her gaze lingered around each and every injury to her environment. "I can't think about it. Not right now, if you leave..." The last part was said so softly that he almost couldn't hear her. While she stared determinedly at one of the bedposts, one of the few objects that had escaped her panic, he poked his head out the door and whispered orders to the faceless guarding her room. He asked that they bring a bit of soup and some water, and the card dashed to the kitchen. Alice heard the door click, and the sound of returning footsteps. Her gaze flashed back up to the Clockmakers' face, and he once again placed himself at the foot of her bed. With the most serious expression he could muster - which for him, was no difficulty - he asked her a question.

"So are you still living in that awful cabin?" The smile he got was worth the feeling of sheer embarrassment that had engulfed him.

/*\

The Bloody Twins were once again standing guard at the gate. After they'd dragged the creepy stalker rabbit away from big sis, they'd returned home - they had an awful lot they needed to tell the boss after all - but now instead of getting to help Boss plot the demise of those wretched creatures that called themselves big sis's relatives, they were doing the same boring old thing.

Dee was drawing pictures in the dirt with the butt of his scythe, and Dum was lying on his back, looking at the clouds. Despite popular belief, they did actually work. Sometimes. When you were an over-energized ten-year-old, guarding a gate wasn't exactly the most riveting of tasks. Dee irritably scraped his sketch tool across the ground, creating a fog of dust. Dum raised his eyebrow,

"Everything alright brother?" Dee sighed,

"Yeah, just bored."

"I'm bummed." Dum said, "The Mortician finally got her to wake up, and we didn't even get to say 'hi'." Dee nodded,

"Yeah," he responded seriously, "I mean, we did get to see her slap Ace, but that was it." He whined, his little-kid voice ringing through the forest like a petulant bell. Dum sat up, clapping his hands once as an idea sprung into the blue-eyed twins' head.

"I know what we could do!" He exclaimed, "We get a break in about..." He did the math in his mind, counting on his fingers, "Three time periods!" He decided triumphantly, "Remember what Oldie and Char-Face said?" Dee's eyes narrowed,

"How could I forget? Who would _do_ something like that to sis?!" He was getting a little riled up, "I mean yeah, we were gonna knife her when we first met her, but that was when we didn't know her. She'd been with them her whole life and still-!"

"Brother!" Dum interrupted, Dee was getting off track, "We could go see for ourselves what that place looks like." Dee's eyes widened.

"...Do you think it'll make sis happy or mad if we blow it up?"

**/*\**

**CHAPTER 20! WOO-HOO! Don't you just love the Twins' nicknames for Henry and Charles? xD No but seriously, go vote in the poll! Not much time left for you to do so! Also: I know that some of the characters come off as a little OOC, however, there is a purpose for this, two actually. In the manga (I've never gotten to play the games) they all interact with Alice in a far different manner than they interact with each other. She is important to each and every one of them, if for vastly different reasons, because she started out as the Foreigner, and still technically is. As for the second reason: remember the storm I mentioned a few chapters ago? R&amp;R! :D Please, I live and breathe reviews.**

**-Static**


	21. Chapter 21

**TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE IN THE POLL! REVIEW PLZ? (My grammar-nazi side feels so betrayed.) Also: I've been rereading this fic and I'm finding so many errors. As in, "Oh #$% everyone must think I'm an idiot not to have noticed this," errors. I've been thinking about asking someone to be a beta reader for this series because I'm just missing so many things when I'm proofreading. On the flipside of that, my updates might not be as frequent - which is something I know you guys really like - however, trade in super-speedy updates, for slightly less speedy updates with infinitely better quality writing. I'm probably going to ask my friend to do it, but if she doesn't have the time, then I'll ask if any of you would like to volunteer for this position. :3**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Nightmare had lost. All those years preparing for this moment, and he had lost that game of Blackjack. He looked down at the cards, bewildered. How had this happened? One mistake. He'd gone for the Queen, thinking it was a Jack. The table broke back into fragments, and retreated to the walls of mirror pieces. When Nightmare and Joker stood up, the same happened for the chairs, and the demon listened to Joker's conditions for his assistance.

Thankfully his plan didn't actually harm Alice, at least not much. Nightmare had been going to reseal the memory of Bedlam, he was going to stuff it away into the back of Alice's consciousness, but Joker? He wanted Alice to remember.

"Unless Alice can learn to deal with this series of memories, we will always be in danger of the Dragon using it against her." The Warden had explained, "She needs to know in full what her life was. Things have changed, she's no longer just the Foreigner. Though it might not be explicitly against the rules, you can't just erase whatever memories you like. Not anymore."

"Then what do you propose to do?" The demon had responded,

"Instead of repressing the memory," the Jester had answered, "We want to intervene. The Jabberwocky is altering it, re-imagining it, so it appears as something far worse than what actually happened. If we can get to that event just as that alteration is happening, we can jump in, and influence it ourselves." Nightmare's eye narrowed,

"What exactly does the Dragon intend to do?"

/*\

Alice had been dozing after her latest dose of laudanum when she heard the lock to her cell turn over. In her drugged up state, she wasn't concerned. She knew that Doctor Williams was the only person who had access to her. There was only one key, and he had it. She figured that he was coming to check on her before he left for home. She had rolled over in her bed and sat up, stretching her arms.

True to his promise, the doctor had convinced his superiors that it was safe to remove the straitjacket. While she couldn't leave, not by any means, she could safely walk around her cell, though every surface was padded, which unnerved her greatly. It also wasn't very warm, she noticed, shivering, glaring up at the one window. No glass, just bars, letting the cold night air chill her to the bone. She sat up in her cot to greet the doctor when she realized.

This was not Doctor Williams.

The man pushed the door closed behind him, and dangled the keys in front of her triumphantly, as if to say, _Look at that, your freedom, so close, and yet so far away._

"Hello miss." He stated, his voice carrying a slimy undercurrent that repulsed her to no end, "I'm Doctor Harris, the physician. You're due for an appointment." And the way he said those words, so humorously, so cruel, she knew her prayers had not been answered.

_Soon_, she thought to herself, horrified, _My scream will join theirs_. And as the man closed in on her, all she could hear were the pitiful and terrified wails of the other occupants of the asylum.

/*\

Nightmare and Joker raced to the forefront of Alice's mind. With three more individuals sifting through her memories, and now knowing what the dragon intended to do, Nightmare did his best to force the irrelevant visions to end as fast as possible.

As he sprinted down several rooms in the maze, he could barely focus on anything other than what Joker had told him.

_While in Bedlam,_ the Jester had said, _Only Doctor Williams was supposed to have the key to her room._

_However,_ The Warden had continued, _One of the less virtuous doctors had set his sights on her, and managed to get a hold of that key._ Nightmare had started to feel a mite irritated,

_You behave as though I don't know that,_ he'd snarled, _I'M the one who sealed away her memories, remember? _The Warden had rolled his eye, his golden eye-patch glimmering in the silver light.

_Have you not been listening to a single word we've been saying, dumb#$%? Her Role is going to change it!_

_And in the worst way possible_. The Jester had tacked on afterwards. In that moment, the demon realized just how dire the situation was. He recalled the memory perfectly. That man had intended to hurt her, and before he could, Alice's doctor had bolted into the room, appalled, and gotten the doctor fired for misconduct the next day.

In the revised memory, the Jabberwocky was going to erase Doctor Williams, and let the more horrific alternative play out, and Alice would be convinced it was real.

**/*\**

Julius had led Alice to safer topics of discussion. It was just the two of them, as Nightmare had been moved to the bedroom next door when she started screaming in her sleep again. Now that she was awake, back in Wonderland, she seemed almost disconcerted. He'd conversed with her on things strictly avoiding her family or the other world. After what those people had said to him...He didn't think he'd be able to keep his composure, where they were concerned.

He sat on the edge of her bed, and she listened to him talk, a smile almost constantly adorning her face. He couldn't help but note the minute differences from now, and before. She no longer wore her hair ribbon. Granted she'd been in bed, but now a silver crown sat on the damaged but functional nightstand, instead of the cloth strip. Her hair had somewhat paled in color. Not a lot, but just enough that it wasn't really brown anymore, and it had lengthened just a bit. Her eyes, always wide, had more patterns to her iris, making them seem deeper and mysterious. As for her smile, that was where the most change took place.

She had always been happy, that didn't change, but now, as she held herself in a more regal manner, did not allow her temper to flare, and got better at keeping her nose out of everyone's business, her energy seemed calmer. Her emotions were more even, and though her smile was still just as wide and bright as it had ever been, the lengthened incisors reminded him that, even though she was still the same (he saw the black and white stockings on her feet), she was also quite different. A paradox that he had never seen repeated in another Role-Holder.

He made each and every one of these observations as he spoke, and once he was finished with his thinking, he realized that they were bantering. Something they hadn't done since she lived in the Clock Tower. She giggled at him,

"I can see why you'd say that, but no! My cabin is nice, and so I will keep it." She stated decisively,

"But it's so _impractical_." He'd answered, "It's so small, barely one other person fits in your office. What do you do then?"

"Hmm? No I don't use my house for business meetings," She said this as though it should be obvious. "I use the Tower for that, but everything else? I stay in my cabin." He shook his head,

"You don't even have hot water in there, and don't say that's a lie," He'd raised his hand when she opened her mouth to protest, "When you had me over for coffee that month ago, I tried the faucet. I let it run for almost five minutes, and it was still freezing. Even for you it must feel cold, and I know how you like hot baths." She merely raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms,

"And how, exactly, would you know that?" He couldn't stop the pink tint in his cheeks, understanding immediately what she was insinuating, but his answer remained composed as he raised an eyebrow back,

"Because you always ran out the hot water from the heater. You forget, I paid your expenses as well." She opened her mouth to protest when a timid knock on the door interrupted their silly argument. A maid poked her head in,

"Um, hello, we brought food for Miss Alice?"

After a couple of servants had brought in a new table and two chairs, as Alice had completely decimated the other pieces of furniture, the maid had set a bowl of soup on the table, with a piece of bread on a plate, and a glass of water sitting on a coaster. Alice thanked the maid, and with some assistance from Julius, made her way into the chair.

"Dear God," She groaned, trying to sit straight, "Who knew getting shot would be so painful?"

"I've been shot my fair share of times." Julius had said, perfectly serious, "It's really not that bad, you're just being a baby." He finished his statement by leaning back in the opposite chair, almost smugly. Alice simply looked at him for a moment, a little disbelieving. Was he...teasing her? Upon asking the question, he almost appeared taken aback, but then hid under his hair and told her to eat her soup. Alice stifled her laugh, and took the spoon, but then realized her hand was a little shaky. She set it down, flexed the muscles in her fingers, and tried again. This time the spoon stayed still, but after a few sips of broth, started shaking again.

The Clockmaker could almost taste the confusion and irritation radiating from his companion.

"You haven't moved for days." He stated softly, "Aside from your...ahem, episodes," his voice took a discomforted quality, "Your muscles are probably a little stiff. Just give it some time and patience." And slowly, she made her way through the soup and bread, albeit, Julius did have to put out a few small fires.

/*\

Ace was currently sitting at a bar, downing absinthe and whiskey shots, and holding an ice-filled rag to his face. He'd never realized that Alice could hit so _hard_. As he asked the bartender for a tenth shot, the faceless raised an eyebrow and lightly protested.

"You sure? I've seen people die on these things." Ace debated, he took the ice off and gingerly touched the purple bruise blemishing his face. Hissing, he reapplied the freezing pain-reliever.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He said, the bartender laughed and passed him another shot glass filled with liquid.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." Ace mumbled something in response, but wasn't really paying attention. He swallowed the alcohol, and set the glass down. He gazed up at the array of bottles and spigots of the business for several moments before covertly looking around the bar. This was a seedy place, not nearly as nice as the tavern in town, but he didn't want to be easily found. He was in no mood to deal with enemies today, so he was here.

The lighting was dark, heavy purple drapes cast over each and every window, and the faint smell of opium permeated the air. The place doubled as a drug den, so not many people forfeited the hidden rooms in the cream-colored walls for the gambling tables or pleasures of smaller vices. A dusty piano embellished the right side of the room, and assorted paintings and trinkets adorned the doors of the drug rooms, appearing as little more than tacky decorations. There were only three other people within his line of vision, the bartender included, though he could hear giggling and expletives coming from within the smoke-scented walls.

Ace was getting the feeling that something wasn't quite right. One of those three men approached him and observed the hand-print as Ace once again checked the pain level.

"I take it your lady's not happy with you?" Ace's eyes widened imperceptibly, what was going on? Everyone knew who he was, what he was capable of, and how easily he could be set off. Why would a faceless try and talk to him?

"Not at the moment, no." He grinned sheepishly, putting on his nice front. The faceless laughed,

"So what did you do to make her so angry that you've downed ten shots in the past half hour?" Ace shrugged,

"I told her I was going to kill her family." The faceless nodded, sipping a beer,

"Yeah, that'll set just about any of them off. This young woman still alive?" Ace was getting more and more confused,

"...Yes." He answered, before asking the bartender for new ice. His conversational partner chuckled,

"You must really like her then." The knave shrugged,

"That and she's not exactly the easiest person to kill." He could sense the man's confusion, "The Jabberwocky and I have an interesting relationship." The faceless raised an eyebrow,

"The Dragon Queen huh?" He answered, "Then I'm sorry for what's about to happen to you." He merely continued drinking as a good ten people dropped from the rafters. How had Ace not noticed them? Yeah, he was a little drunk, but alcohol had never impaired his senses to such an extent. He stood up and drew his sword, as the faceless continued speaking. "The Jabberwocky must die, along with anyone who might associate with her."

/*\

**Looks like you guys get to see a bar fight in the next chapter, as the full thing would be too long for me to include now. THIS IS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE IN THE POLL, so if you want to do that, do it now. And as always, R&amp;R, and leave constructive criticism! Please! I would love to hear your input and get feedback on how I can make my writing better!**

**-Static**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! I know I haven't updated for a while, but an assortment of things got in the way x.x Anyways, one new chapter just for you!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

When Nightmare and Joker had finally made it to that blasted memory, they found the doctor frozen in the hallway of the asylum. The dragon had encased Dr. Williams in a golden energy shell, and Nightmare heard Alice scream.

"#$#!" The Warden exclaimed, racing into the cell. Nightmare soon followed, leaving the Jester attempting to figure out some way to release the doctor.

When Nightmare burst into the room, he was appalled. The man had Alice pinned to her cot, her small body struggling underneath his, and screaming to be released. Tears streamed down her face, and her cries of "NO!" went unanswered. Just as the disgusting creature's hand snaked down her leg, the Warden had grabbed his collar, and thrown him into the opposing wall.

/*\

Alice bolted upwards, sitting to face Joker and Nightmare defensively. She was about to scream several profanities when she remembered. _Oh, that's right,_ she thought, _I know them. They won't hurt me._ The physician stood up, looking dazed, and then started yelling at Alice.

"How _dare_ you?" He growled, stepping towards her. She was braced for more pain, she was sure there were bruises where he had grabbed her wrists, but the Warden held him back.

"He cannot perceive us." Nightmare explained as she curled up as far back as possible into her cot, "He is but a memory, he cannot hurt you, not now."

"How..." She trailed off. Suddenly the entire memory flowed into her consciousness. The breakup with Charles. Getting thrown into the caravan. The doses of laudanum, the officials coming to check Dr. Williams' work...and then going home and being instructed to not say a word.

/*\

When they had brought her back, they allowed her to change back into her normal clothes, as opposed to being sent home in her asylum uniform. It had all been at her father and brother-in-law's orders. They couldn't have Alice returning home looking like that. Lorina would never forgive them, and a girl as young as Edith shouldn't bear such a trauma.

That was how her father had explained it to her.

"Your sisters think that we sent you a religious retreat. You will play along with this farce, for we do not want to upset them." he'd stated,

"And if they ask me to describe it?" She'd responded, barely suppressing her rage. Henry shrugged,

"Churches, stained glass, and strict nuns." She snorted,

"Because that is all it will take to convince them." the man's eyes narrowed,

"You have a good imagination, you'll figure something out." At that point, Alice had to leave his office, lest she set the man and his bookshelves alight with the candle sitting on the desk.

Up until Peter had kidnapped her and thrown her down the rabbit hole, no one but she, her father, and Charles knew the specifics of the incident. Henry had contacted all the family's friends, and told them of his fallacy. He asked that they go along with it, so that Lorina and Edith might not feel the horror of the situation, and they all agreed.

Alice had never hated anyone in her family, not even Lorina, the girl they expected Alice to mimic in every way. She adored the woman to no end, second only to her now-dead mother. As much as Alice might sometimes resent the expectations of others, she had never resented her _family_.

When Alice was forced to endure each and every consequence of Charles's selfishness, she learned what it meant to hate. Not her sister of course, and not even him, but her father, for taking his side, and breaking his promise that he would always protect her from the evils of the world.

/*\

When Alice had realized these things, Nightmare and Joker had vanished. Instead of seeing them, Doctor Williams had come running in, and found the physician approaching Alice, angry. He watched Dr. Harris slap Alice across the face, and, enraged, he grabbed Dr. Harris by the collar of his shirt and threw him out of her cell. Alice found it in herself to be momentarily impressed. She didn't know Dr. Williams was that strong. She watched her doctor tear the key away from the other, and lock the cell back up. She was defended once more.

She could hear Welsh profanities and English anger, but thankfully Williams had won. Once the evil physician left, Dr. Williams had re-entered the cell.

He made sure the door was cracked. Not wide open, but not closed, so that he could leave. She wished she could leave.

Her thoughts were broken when the doctor with his white-blond hair and wide red eyes knelt in front of her, a spirit in the darkness. Gently he picked up one of her hands, and looked at her as if to ask, _Is this okay?_ After her ordeal, she was grateful for his consideration. Alice allowed the man to look over her bruises, making sure she wasn't too hurt, and then he placed one hand on each of her cheeks.

"Alice," he murmured gently, "I don't want to make you relive what happened just now, but you need to tell me." His head lowered a little, so that he could gaze over his rectangular eyeglasses. He gently stroked her hair, trying to keep her calm. "Will you tell me what he did?" For a moment, the girl appeared to not understand the question, but then her eyes glazed over a little, and she spoke.

"He..." She choked out, and then stronger, "He dangled the key in front of my face. He told me I was 'overdue for a checkup'." She spat, "He...grabbed my wrists...and pinned me to the bed..." And she broke down in tears, her sobs racking her body as she hid her face in her knees. The doctor wrapped his arms around her,

"Shh," he cooed, "Shh, it's alright. Everything is alright. He cannot hurt you now. I won't let him. Shh... What did he do?"

"He," she hiccuped, "He didn't...do what you think. He'd only arrived a couple of minutes before you. He'd just grabbed my wrists when you walked in." She started sobbing again, and the doctor held her and cooed at her and did his best to calm her down. It went like that until Alice cried herself asleep, but right before she dozed off, she observed something a bit odd.

It almost looked like Doctor Williams had a set of rabbit ears.

/*\

Once Alice had finished her soup, she was able to stand up on her own, with a little assistance from her tail, so that she might keep her balance. Julius was adamant that she take his hand at least, but she waved him off, wishing to attempt to walk back to the bed on her own. Reluctantly, he allowed this, but he wasn't more than two feet away, in case her step faltered. Though annoyed, Alice felt a pang of softness for the Clockmaker's consideration.

Julius had always been one of her favorite people in Wonderland. He'd been extremely kind to her from the moment he met her. He let her freeload in his house when she had no money. He allowed her to help with his work in spite of the fact that he had a rather nasty case of OCD, because he realized she did not mean to be annoying, but show she really was responsible and wanted to pay him back for that kindness. He'd always kept her safe, had never tried to hurt her, and treated her as a person, rather than a toy for his amusement. He made sure she took care of herself, when he was paying attention long enough to notice. She could say thousands upon thousands of kind words for Julius Monrey that would never apply to any of the other Role-Holders, and he didn't know that.

She had no intention of telling him either.

/*\

As Julius listened to Alice's request, he couldn't help but be astonished. Had she lost so much blood that her brain wasn't working right? Was she so sleepy that she really thought it was a good idea? Was she even _aware_ of the request she had just made? The Clockmaker simply gazed at her, and she stared back at him.

No, her eyes were clear, her brow knit in displeasure. She knew perfectly well what she had asked, and as much as she resented the idea, she felt it was necessary.

"I know it sounds insane, but I think I would rather deal with him than Joker right at this moment." She remembered the dream, and the Warden throwing her would-be...assaulter off of her. She couldn't acknowledge the other word. Not yet, but all the same she could not face Joker. She might be able to deal with Nightmare, but Joker? He'd want to bring up the memory, talk about it, maybe even taunt her for it...and she would completely lose it.

No, he was definitely the safer and more trustworthy option, and she mentally rolled her eyes at the notion of _him_ being safe.

However, that being said, during Alice's second visit to Wonderland, he'd been somewhat kind to her. He'd done his best to make her feel at home and welcome in the territory, and had refrained from calling her slurs. He brought her to the secret meetings with his sister on countless occasions, and those had always been events she looked forward to. He had started showing a calmer, less cruel, and more sincere side of himself. Perhaps who he was when he was a faceless?

But that was the past and no longer mattered. It would be a lie if she said she did not love him anymore, there was a piece of her heart that still adored him certainly, but that piece was outweighed not only by her mind, but the rest of that heart as well. He'd have to do a lot before he regained her forgiveness, and he was such a lazy man...well, she wasn't going to hold her breath.

"Julius, please," she almost begged, "I just want this meeting over and done with. Please just ask the guards to send out the message, that's all I want."

The Clockmaker argued against it, but all for naught. Alice was certain that this meeting was necessary, and there was no convincing her otherwise. He growled in frustration, and stomped to the door. He closed it behind him, just for a second, letting Alice think he'd left her. She deserved a few minutes of panic, for making him give this absurd order.

The faceless raised a dull eyebrow at the Clockmaker, as if trying to decide if he was serious, and then stated that he had to ask the Queen first. That man was, after all, her arch-nemesis, dramatic as the word was, it would not do to invite her worst enemy to the castle without her even knowing.

Julius nodded, instructed the faceless to say that it had been Alice's request, and went back into her room to try and put her in a better mood before she had to deal with that insufferable man.

/*\

When Blood got the news that Alice had sent for him, he'd been more than surprised.

He'd stood up from his chair, and made to leave the cell. It hadn't taken much to get the prisoner to tell him things.

Very interesting things.

**/*\**

**New chapter! And after so long x.x I apologize, but please leave reviews! I need them!**

**-Static**


	23. Chapter 23

**So. Alice is going to talk to the Mad Hatter of her own volition. LEAVE. REVIEWS. PLEASE!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Ace looked around the broken and battered tavern in satisfaction as he slammed the last unbroken bar stool over the head of the last faceless.

The windows were broken, and the drapes shredded beyond repair. Char-marks littered the floor, and there were even a couple of small fires, ever spreading. There were enormous gouge-marks in the walls, a few bullet holes, and even a little blood pooling out from the cracks.

When the assassins had descended from the ceiling, Ace had lashed out, taking down one of his assailants with a swift slash to the neck, and skewering a second with his sword. After a few moments of distraction however, Ace had then been promptly hit in the head with a bottle.

The broadsword had, quite absurdly, been caught on the unfortunate victims ribs. The knave had spent a moment too long trying to get it out, and that was his mistake. Stuck in the corpse, Ace had no choice but to abandon his weapon as the glass cracked over his skull. Until the body disappeared he was completely and utterly weapon-less, and so was both wounded and a little uncertain as to what to do.

Up until recently, it was not a common event for him to lose his sword.

Ace mulled over his options, taking a about a minute to remain on the defense, and finally made a decision.

He grabbed the nearest faceless, and threw him down back-first onto a nearby poker table, breaking both the piece of furniture as well as his spine. Seven enemies left, not including the man still drinking at the bar. The bartender was lying in a pool of blood hunched over on the granite counters, apparently having been shot in the head.

Next, Ace grabbed a chair and whipped it across the attackers faces in a circular motion. Having seriously injured two and merely dazing the rest, he grabbed one of the near-broken legs and shoved it into the man's jugular. Blood spurted everywhere, but barely a drop touched the knave, as he had in a similar fashion dismembered the other faceless. Now there were five, all shooting at him with an array of weapons ranging from pistols to automatic rifles.

He rushed them, dodging the bullets as best he could, and did a front-flip over the bar. That would provide him a modicum of cover for about ten seconds, fifteen if he was lucky. He looked around, searching for ideas, and winced slightly. A few bullets had grazed his left arm as well as the ever-present hand-shaped bruise on his face. He snatched a bottle of scotch and stuck a rag into the top (though not before taking a swig). Digging around in the pockets of his jacket, he found a matchbox. Setting the strip of cloth alight, he poked his face over the counter, and chucked it over the bar at his assailants' feet. He watched as three screamed in pain while the fire danced around and clung to their bodies.

Ace took the moment to attack. He landed a side-kick to one of the non-distracted faceless's chest, while throwing a well-placed right hook at the other. The first faceless was still dazed on the floor, so the knave - fueled entirely by adrenaline - grabbed him by the leg and threw him into the other. Both assassins lay dazed on the floor, barely able to move. After that it took fairly little for the Role-Holder to stride over to them and snap both their necks, one with a kick, and the other with the flick of his wrists.

The remaining three assaulters had burned to death, saving Ace some work. Their bodies made a complete slippery mess. Blood and charred skin and muscle and the pink of something he didn't care to focus on blemished the fine wooden floors. It was everywhere, almost appearing as though the three people had spontaneously combusted. All that was left was the man finishing his beer and taking out two pistols.

Ace was still too far away from his sword to rationalize diving for it. However, there were plenty of tables, and so as the faceless pointed, he flipped one of the rectangular ones on its' side and hid until he noted the sound of reloading. The knave jumped over the table, and threw a left-hook into the mans jaw. Recovering quicker than he should have, the old man managed to get in a few of his own hits and punches and Ace was shocked to find himself legitimately wounded. Maybe he shouldn't have downed so many shots.

Now, with a cut on his left brow, a gash decorating his cheek, a bit of blood trailing from his mouth, a black eye and being absolutely covered in bruises, Ace felt about just as effective as a damned faceless. He got one good punch in, breaking his opponents nose, and then taking the one undamaged piece of furniture that remained, snapped it into the mans neck, and watched as he vanished into a clock.

Ace stumbled to his sword, the adrenaline rush wearing off, and slipped it back into the sheath on his belt. Using the cleanest rag he could find, he wiped most of the blood off his face and mussed his hair to cover up his eye as good as possible, using a shard of glass as a mirror. Afterwards, he pulled out a familiar bloodied sack, packed up the clocks, and left before the building completely burned down.

/*\

When the Mad Hatter showed up at the castle, a multitude of guards accompanied him to Alice's room. This was of course expected. It would be a highly unusual event for the Queen to actually welcome him to her realm _and_ offer him her trust that he wouldn't pull anything.

Upon reaching the second floor, one of the faceless guards ran ahead of the group to notify the Dragon of his arrival. As he trekked down the pretentiously decorated hallway - mirrors and red _everywhere_ \- he distinctly remembered that his sister used to have much better taste. He was broken out of his reverie by the sound of a door. He watched as a few seconds later, the Clockmaker of all people stepped out of the room, and shot a glare at him that lasted up until Blood himself got to the entrance.

"Do not upset her." Julius snarled, and walked away before Blood could come up with a response. He merely rolled his eyes, strolled through the crimson door, and slammed it as the faceless guards moved to follow.

This was between him and Alice.

Him and Alice _alone_.

/*\

When the guard came to inform them that Blood had finally arrived, Julius had taken Alice's hand, spoken an encouraging few words, and left. With nothing to distract her from the carnage of her room, she looked determinedly out the window, hoping that the tranquil image of the daily going-ons of the castle might keep her mind a little more at peace before the dreaded man got there.

She listened as the door clicked quietly opened, and slammed a bit too loudly. She listened to the sound of footsteps created by only the finest, most polished of shoes, and then a light scraping sounded across the floor. He'd drug one of the chairs over to her bedside and sat down, waiting for her to make the first move.

"It's pretty," she murmured, before turning her eyes to meet with his. Pools of blue meeting with chips of green, she glared at him, and he stared back, effortlessly neutral, before she spoke again, "I didn't think you'd show up so quickly."

"For you, I was willing to make an exception. It would be awfully rude to keep such an important young lady waiting." Ah, there it was, the expression he was so fond of that she hated more than anything. The way he patronized her was absolutely infuriating to her, and he knew that, so he did it. Though her head tilted back slightly haughtily, and her spine straightened a minuscule bit, she decided to momentarily overlook the annoying phrase and spoke,

"Send them home," She commanded, her eyes never leaving his. An eyebrow raised, and an amused smirk settled on his lips.

"Is that an order?"

"Yes." she answered without missing a beat, "Send them home or I-" She cut off, turning her head, but it was too late, the Hatter latched onto the slip of tongue faster than the string of swears could loop through her mind.

"Or you'll...?" He taunted smoothly, leaning back in his chair. Alice had definitely grown a little more backbone, but she still let her emotions rule her, but to his understanding that was a good thing, to an extent. It helped to keep her separate from the Dragon.

Alice was irritated. She thought she could handle him, but for some reason, she still wanted to tell him the honest truth, though she knew it was proverbial suicide to do so. _Damn you heart._ She thought accusingly at the sound in her chest, and she decided to look up at him from under her eyelashes, her head carefully bowed. Well, he'd always been more inclined to let his guard down when she behaved as though she were vulnerable.

"Or I may kill my father." She stated evenly. Bloods eyebrows shot up, and to her shock, he appeared to be genuinely surprised, and the emotion spiked in his scent, though for but a moment. His composure returned in milliseconds.

"Now there's a phrase I never thought I'd hear from you." He responded, "What brought this about?" She thought over her words warily,

"When I was asleep," she started slowly, raising her head a little, "I dreamed, of my memories, the ones that Nightmare had sealed away." And then softer, "I'd forgotten a significant event in my life, then I remembered, and now I remember how much I hated him."

Blood was not a good man, not by any stretch. He killed and tortured and burned villages to the ground out of nothing but boredom, and such sights had even brought him pleasure. He coaxed his people into impossible debts, and used every man, woman, and child under his command to his advantage in any way possible, no matter the collateral damage. However, if there were crimes he had always personally abstained from, it was those against women. Particularly, women he liked, and Alice was a member of that group.

She didn't know that he was aware of what had happened in her dream. Maybe not the specifics, but he knew that she'd been thrown into an insane asylum, and that one of the officials there had attempted to harm her in the most vile way imaginable.

No, the Mafia Boss was not kind nor caring nor compassionate, but for Alice, shadows of such virtues presented themselves, and though he direly wanted to say something hurtful and scathing, he refrained, because right now, the girl would not be able to handle it. No instead, he would negotiate.

"Why should I do this for you? What would I get out of it?" She glared at him,

"I will not do 'anything'," She stated defiantly, "I have learned the danger of that word. If your request is within reason, I will bend to it."

"If I want something you do not consider reasonable?" Her pupils started to narrow. He was getting to her.

"Then I kill you and play a round of Blackjack with Joker." She answered, her voice devoid of emotion. Blood laughed,

"You? Kill _me_? How ludicrous." He reached up to snatch a strand of her hair, but as always, her spearhead tail was quick to defend, now resting at his wrist, and as always, he understood what she was telling him. _Any closer__ and you can kiss that hand goodbye._

"Fine," he said, pulling away, and raising his hands in a sign of mock-surrender, "I desire a few things, and I want to make my conditions specific." She knew her way around loopholes, and so he was going to leave as few open as possible. "I've asked your father if I might court you. Allow this with no fight for three months, starting the day the doctors say you've fully healed. I also want to touch you for this time, nothing invasive," He spoke quickly and raised a hand even higher, as she was about to protest, "I simply want to be able to hold your hand or wrap my arm around your shoulders without you threatening violence over it."

Alice did not like this, not one bit, but as she mulled his conditions over in her mind, she realized that this was most definitely not the worst thing he could request of her. Blood was a criminal mastermind. He was the leader of the Mafia, it was very likely he would have no trouble thinking of conditions far more vile than the ones he currently desired. She tilted her head at him,

"May I ask why you might want such permissions? I was under the impression that you were not partial to me in one such way."

"You're naive," he said, a hint of smugness coloring his voice. "You don't appear to understand when a man has interests in you, at least," He corrected, "Not when he has a _healthy_ interest in you." His thoughts momentarily turned to the white rabbit, but soon the irritating rodent left his mind. The Dragon, in her beautiful and dangerous and clever entirety was studying him. He knew she was trying to determine his sincerity, and for that he really couldn't blame her. Who in their right mind would trust someone like him?

"So," She started, "If I agree to court you, you will return my family to London? Safe and unharmed?" Blood smiled,

"Allow me to show how deep my affections for you run," the line was spoken too smoothly, too confidant, too _sarcastically_, to really ring true in Alice's mind, "And they will have nothing to show for their time here."

"Agree to keep this newfound relationship between us a secret from both the public, the other Role-Holders, and my family. Fulfill that term and you have a deal." And she broke eye contact and leaned back into her pillows, eyes closing, breathing deeply, and then wincing at the pain in her chest. A few red spots showed through her bandages, and still feeling overly-satisfied, Blood fetched the nurses.

"This place looks awful by the way." He stated nonchalantly, approaching the door. He could almost _feel_ her glaring at him. Finally, at long last, things were back on track.

As always, he'd gotten what he wanted. Now the real fun could begin.

**/*\**

**Alright, so I think I made an error of judgement. I didn't want this story to be too long, and if I continue as is, I will not meet that expectation. So here's what I'm going to do: I think I might divide it into a few different stories. I'll let this story go up to 25 chapters, and end it there, going into the sequel. I don't want people who might potentially want to read this decide not to because it's just so obnoxiously long you know? Anyways, R&amp;R! I live for each and every review I get! (Seriously, if I don't get the reviews I go nuts. I need my fix man, I NEED MY FIX! XDD) **

**-Static**


	24. Chapter 24

**Alright so maybe it might end up being 27 chapters instead of 25...**

**-Static**

**/*\**

To say that Blood had overstayed his welcome would be an understatement. After the doctors came and fixed Alice's stitches, the Mafia Boss _would not leave her alone._

"Blood, didn't you say this would start when I got better?" She complained,

"What, aren't you enjoying my company?" He asked, mock-hurt. She glared at him.

"You've been here for almost five hours." She deadpanned, "I'm exhausted, and I'd really like to sleep, if you don't mind." He smirked, leaning back in his chair, cane gripped loosely in his hand.

"I don't mind at all." Her eyes narrowed.

"I will light you on fire."

/*\

When Gray was finally released from the company of the Queen and Alice's demon sisters, he finally made his way to go attend to his boss. Walking through the hallways he shot evil glares at each and every faceless to look at him, and he got to Nightmare's room with minuscule amounts of embarrassment.

His boss was awake, after having finally helped Alice to recover, however he was nursing a broken arm. When the Dragon had been enduring yet another episode, her tail had whipped across the room in every which way possible. Nightmare had gotten caught in the cross-hairs, and his arm had snapped. It was a wonder he hadn't woken screaming.

As Gray entered the room, to ask the demon if there was anything he might need, he was confronted with a rather odd sight. The Clockmaker was tending to the incubus, and was patiently listening to him ramble on and on about nothing, sitting in a chair next to the bed. It would seem that Nightmare wasn't quite right either, as he was speaking about all the work he had to do upon returning to Clover Tower with an air of anxiety, rather than dread.

Hearing this conversation, Gray intervened,

"Are you seriously saying that you, _you_, are upset over missing work?" Gray momentarily forgot his sheer irritation and embarrassment to trade in for absolute shock. Was his boss ill? Nightmare turned to look at him, as though to say something overly-dramatic in his own defense, when he stopped, and appeared to stifle his laughter. Oh, that's right.

"Don't." Gray growled. Curiosity piqued, Julius turned in his chair to see what was going on. If even the Clockmaker was trying not to snicker...Gray was definitely having an absolutely awful day.

"What happened to you?" Nightmare asked, his voice cracking on the last syllable, his laughter just a bit too strong to contain. The man in question glowered,

"Alice's youngest sister wanted to play dress-up. The Queen and the older sister threatened me with decapitation should I refuse. If any of the guards see me take it off, I'm done for." Julius raised an eyebrow,

"You don't think you can take the Queens' guards?" Gray's eyes narrowed. He hadn't been an assassin in a long time, but for the Clockmaker - anyone - to think he'd gotten that soft was simply insulting.

"No, the Queen's guards would be mincemeat. I don't think I can take _Alice_. If she hears I made her sister cry..." Julius nodded his head, as if to concede his point.

"Still though," Nightmare intervened, "This is pretty funny. As your boss, I'm considering ordering that photographs be taken." Gray glared at the injured man,

"If you give one such order," he growled, "I swear on my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you." (3)

/*\

Upon returning to the palace, Ace called over a guard he'd come to use as a sort of informant. Spending so much time away from the castle, whether of his own volition or not, left him being quite out of the loop most of the time, and so he needed someone to update him on what was going on. Apparently, after Alice had been awake for a few hours, Blood Dupre had paid her a visit.

The moment the Knave heard the Mafia Boss's name, he quit listening, and marched into the castle.

There was no way that Alice was okay with this.

/*\

"Blood, I'm serious, GO AWAY!" She snarled, "I am tired, and cranky, and I've already burned the poor dresser to a crisp." It was true. Despite her threats of fiery vengeance against him for his persistence, she hadn't actually done anything. Not to him anyway. If anyone suffered, it was the Red Queen's furniture. The woman was going to have completely recreate the room by the time it was all over, and she regretted the situation deeply. Who knew Alice could cause such destruction? And just when she was asleep? What could she be capable if she was awake? Steaming mad?

The prospect frightened her.

"Yes, but it's quite clear you don't want to be alone right now." Blood's voice had taken on a...sympathetic quality? No, that couldn't be right. Blood didn't do sympathy unless he was mocking his conversational partner, but this didn't sound condescending. In fact, he wasn't being cruel, not right now. She could sense it.

"...I still do not desire your company. I don't trust you enough to sleep in your presence."

"What have I done to deserve such suspicion?"

"What have you done to deserve my confidence?" Blood was about to respond when the door slammed open. Ace marched into the room,

"What are you doing here?" He demanded, glaring at Blood,

"Alice asked me to come." He answered, Ace snorted.

"Uh huh, sure she did. Get out."

"If I might intervene," Alice butted in, "But it's true, I did ask him to come." Ace stared at her blankly,

"What?" He questioned, and the dragon girl sighed. She just wanted to sleep,

"He's the only one who knows how to send them home." She stated, making eye-contact with the knave. They simply stared at each other for a moment before Blood broke the silence,

"Well since it seems you two are having a moment," He stood up, "I'll be off." And he was gone in no time, the chair vacant, the door closed. As though he'd never been there.

"Seriously? All that, and he's gone the moment someone else comes in?" She hummed, "I guess I should say thanks." And as she moved to lay down on her side, Ace spoke again.

"What did you promise him?" She looked up at him, and he looked down at her. For several moments, Alice was determined not to give in. No, she would not tell him. The last thing she needed was for all of her friends to think she was a hypocrite, and Ace was such a blabbermouth...

Still Alice was the first to look away.

"It's not important. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't ask for something worse, like ten years of servitude or something." She snorted derisively, but Ace wasn't having it. He took what had been formerly Bloods chair, and sat down, making her look at him.

"Alice," He said, "What did you promise him?" And this time, he almost sounded threatening. Her eyes narrowed,

"What's it to you?" She answered, a sliver of animalistic defensiveness showing in her eyes, "Why should I even talk to you? You told me you were going to kill my family, and then you hurt me." She lightly touched the now-healed spot on her temple. "I shouldn't be nice to you." She stated, and then determinedly closed her eyes, so she didn't have to look at him.

He waited for almost ten minutes before she sighed, sat back up, and angrily motioned for him to sit on the bed next to her. Finally.

Alice breathed a smidgen of fire into her hand, the soft light covering the top of her right, and gently she took the mans face in her left, holding it steady. Carefully, she ghosted the glowing fingertips over each and every cut and bruise she could see, and Ace, having gotten used to the momentary burning, leaned his face into her touch. When Alice was finished with her ministrations, his wounds had completely healed. Even when she was spitting angry, she could not bear to see him wounded, and it had alarmed her greatly to see the extent of those wounds. Ace didn't get hurt. It was almost a sort of universal truth. She had smelled the blood on him the moment he'd entered the room, and it had distressed her greatly when she got a better look at his face. She didn't think she'd ever seen him with a black eye before, and so even though she was so displeased with him, she couldn't just let him stay hurt.

"Do you feel better?" She growled, frustrated that she had given in so easily. Ace grinned at her, and snapped his fingers. The time changed immediately from day to night, and he leaned in closer, so close that his hair tickled her cheek and that he spoke directly into the girl's ear.

"I have cuts and bruises all over the rest of me as well. Will you fix those too, please?" He murmured softly, seductively, taking her still glowing right hand and placing it over the most painful part of his chest. Not as effective as direct contact, but it took off the edge, and he sighed in relief.

With an outraged scream, and several shrieked profanities, Ace flew out the door, the front of his uniform still flaming jut a bit. After his soft and teasing request, Alice had turned extremely pink, and her hand still lit, she shot spouts of sapphire-blue fire into his chest. The force of the explosion had shot him the full fifty yards out the door. He'd slammed into the wall and been rendered a little more than dizzy. Footsteps approached, and they stopped just beside him.

"What did you do _now_?" The Clockmaker asked.

/*\

Once the Twins had seen the place firsthand, they were even more furious, and their moods darkened the more they saw.

The outside of the asylum looked average enough. The barred windows appeared a bit extreme, but other than that it looked like a normal hospital. Once they stepped through the front door, they saw the outlay of the first floor. There was a waiting room, several offices, and a visiting room, but even from there they could hear the keening of the prisoners.

As they descended ever farther into the prison, they got angrier and angrier.

There were men and women alike tied up in straitjackets. Many with their heads shaved, and sobbing in their cots. In a similar manner, people were hooked up to machines that looked like a torture instrument they sometimes used back home, but here they were calling it 'electro-shock therapy'.

Normally, this wouldn't have bothered them much.

If it wasn't for the fact that this was what bis sis had experienced.

Still invisible to Foreigner eyes, they watched doctors enter cells and listened to bouts of screaming and crying. The tiled halls were clean enough, the odd patient sitting in a wheelchair while their nurses were absent. The cells however, looked filthy. The bedding in almost every one of them appeared dusty, and some even looked as though they held bloodstains. The sinks and personal facilities had sinks that looked almost completely brown on the inside, and the metal bits appeared rusted. The padding of the rooms was definitely not new, and there were even empty cells with manacles and chains.

The place looked unlike any hospital they had ever seen, and it was clear that the "doctors" here were not in the business to help people. That was evidenced when they watched a man in a white coat enter a cell containing a female patient. Soon she was shrieking to be let go, then begging for him to stop, and then crying when he finally left, straightening his clothes and looking around to ensure he hadn't been caught.

"Now do you understand?" A voice behind them spoke. They whirled, but saw no one. The voice, however, was quite familiar. "Now do you see why I had to bring Alice to Wonderland, even though it took so much effort? Why even though so many people tried to use her and even kill her, why I was always so convinced it was better for her to remain there than to return here?"

Peter White had been lost in his thoughts, thinking over the fact that, had he not disguised himself and taken the position of Alice's psychiatrist in this wretched place, a similarly horrifying fate would have befallen her. He looked through the cell window at the crying woman sympathetically. Ever since Alice had entered his life, he knew a little more about such things. All he had to do was look at someone, and think, _What if that was her?_ Suddenly he found himself thinking less maliciously, and trying to be more diplomatic and understanding when the situation allowed it. He was as merciless as ever, but he put more effort into how he thought about things. She was a good influence on everyone, and that good influence led him to think over what the fate of the ever infamous Bedlam should be. He turned his attention to the twins,

"It is my understanding that you have explosives?" And the two grins he got for that, well, the future of the hospital might as well have been etched in stone.

/*\

When Alice had woken three time periods later, she noted that she felt a little better. She still felt extremely lethargic, and the thick aftertaste of blood rang in her mouth, but she wasn't dead and she was healing. So that was something. She put her hand up to her chest reflexively and gasped in pain, her eyes tearing up just a bit.

It was really a pity that she couldn't use her dragon-fire on herself. Once the stinging had subsided, she found herself counting the knobs on the dressers and the assorted cracks in the wall to pass time.

Alice leaned back on the headboard and groaned in frustration. She hadn't been awake two minutes and she was already feeling bored. She thought about asking the guards to fetch one of her friends, but she didn't think she felt like speaking with any of them. She could call for Lorina, but at the moment she might confess to her sister what had really happened that week she was sent away, so that was inviable. Her father was definitely out of the question, as was Charles. Edith, however, well before she'd been abducted, she had been meaning to speak with Edith, and try to repair their relationship.

Lorina being older and busier, Alice had been Edith's playmate most of the time. When their mother had died, Alice didn't cry at the funeral, and Edith - having been but eight years old at the time and unable to truly understand - felt that this meant Alice had never cared about their mother. Edith had called her coldhearted and said she hated her. Ever since Edith had kept herself isolated from Alice as well as Lorina, because apparently Lorina was just as horrible if she took Alice's side.

Alice sighed. Before she had her family sent away and never saw them again, she wanted to make _something_ right. The conflict between her and Edith, and so by default Edith and Lorina, had been harming the little girl. Lorina could take consolation from everyone. She'd always been the favorite of the three daughters, and so would always get the first batch of attention and comforting. Edith however...well a mere child can't possibly have legitimate emotions right? Alice rolled her eyes at the attitude of adults, and called for the guards.

She and Edith needed to talk.

"Guards!" Alice called, and she needed to wait not two seconds before a faceless poked his head in through the door.

"Yes, Miss Jabberwocky?" She still couldn't get used to the titled,

"I would like to request that I be moved to a different room," She stated strongly, then softer, "Then I would like you to bring my youngest sister to see me. Please." The faceless nodded in understanding. In spite of everything, the Dragon was still very sweet and polite. The only time she ever truly acted like a Role-Holder was when she was in the presence of her peers.

Two faceless nurses returned with a stretcher, and they carted her to the room next door. Once they got her settled in, a maid brought tea and pastries.

"Here you go miss," the maid said sweetly, "Your favorite black tea and rum cake. I do apologize for the choice, I would have brought you a chocolate torte as usual but the knave insisted I bring you this instead." She spoke the last part as if pleading to not be blamed for something. It was almost as if she'd served Alice a pastry with cockroaches, rather than a different flavor cake. Alice raised an eyebrow at the little pastry. Ace was really sucking up, first trying to kick Blood out of her room, because he had correctly assumed she didn't want him there, then changing it to night so she could sleep comfortably, and now he was ordering the maids to deliver her favored sweets to her. He made it hard to stay mad, but stay mad she would.

Alice waved her hand, "It's fine," she said, "Rum cake is not an objectionable change." she smiled at the maid reassuringly, but the maid noted that Alice seemed to be eating the cake faster than any torte she'd ever brought her. _Maybe the Knave is not so imbecile._ The worker thought to herself, smiling inwardly. The maid bowed,

"I shall go fetch your sister now." And Alice nodded.

The moment of truth awaited.

**/*\**

**So...I don't have much to say after that. However I feel I should explain something. Yes, it is April Season, and I know the Role-Holders aren't supposed to be able to change the time of day during. Just remember - the universe is falling apart! Things that shouldn't be happening can! xD (3) You guys get the reference right? If you do, say Lightning Bug in the reviews, and while we're on the subject... PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS! xD**

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	25. Chapter 25

**MOAR CHAPTERS. Cuz' I've been slacking and, let's face is, half the reason you guys follow this story is because of fast updates ;P Jk jk but still, I feel kind of guilty. But yes! This story is almost over, don't worry though, it's not gonna be years before the sequel shows up :3**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Two weeks after Alice's revival, the doctors told her she was safe to go home, and for that interim, the Clover Tower trio had taken up residence in Heart Castle. Peter took each and every chance to go pester the girl, which wasn't often, as Julius had seemed to assign himself the position of her bodyguard. When Peter showed up, he took care of it. When Ace was getting annoying, he threw him out. When Alice had broken down in tears after her conversation with Edith, the Clockmaker was the first one there trying to console her, Gray and Nightmare following soon after.

Once the Queen's doctors had given her the clearance to return to Jabberwocky Tower, she was filled with joy and dread alike.

First, she was happy to be returning home. While she did not live in the Tower, a few nights in the bed of the enormous master bedroom would definitely not hurt her. Also: both her sisters were coming with her for a week. Charles and Henry had declined the offer of returning to the mountains, and she was extremely grateful inside for that, if not a little confused. She got to be with her siblings one last time, and Julius as well as Gray and Nightmare would be staying as well. Her sisters and three of her closest friends, it would be wonderful! At least for Alice it would be...

As for the dread, well, now that she was better, she was going to have to start taking several hours each week to deal with Blood. For the rest of April Season into the return of the normal world. As much as Alice wanted to slip out of her promise, it was not in her nature, nor the dragons nature, to go back on her word. Tempting though it was to simply break off their deal and challenge Joker instead, she was honest, even if her...colleague, might not be of so virtuous a nature.

The moment she returned, however, her thoughts were turned elsewhere. As Julius helped her walk up the steps of the tower, she heard the insistent scratching of a pen on paper. She thought nothing of this until she passed the office.

Pierce was sitting at her desk, studiously looking over a bit of paperwork. This in itself would not have been strange if it wasn't for the fact that her assistant was a _mess_. She could smell the body odor all the way from her place in the hallway, so it was clear he hadn't been keeping up with his hygiene. His hair was dull and greasy and sticking up at odd angles, his tail was flicking irritably against the ground, and the circles under his eyes were so big and so dark, that from the right angle, he looked more like a raccoon than a mouse. His jacket and hat were nowhere to be found, and many of the buttons on his shirt appeared to be either in the wrong holes or completely undone. The Dormouse definitely wasn't looking his best.

"Pierce?!" She yelped, "What are you doing?!" He was about to respond when Gray pushed his way into the office.

"Don't worry Alice," he smiled reassuringly at her, "I'll take care of this." And as he shut the door, she could hear him instructing her aide to go home, take a shower, and get some sleep. Gray said that he would take over the paperwork until both he and the dragon were well enough to do it themselves.

"That man is too kind for his own good." She murmured, as Julius helped her through the threshold to the building's living area.

/*\

As Blood mused over the events of the past two weeks, he couldn't stop himself from smiling in sheer satisfaction. It would be nothing to send the family home, and for one last week, Alice would be spending time with her sisters, however that was not going to make him relax the terms of his agreement. She was well enough to return to the tower, and so was well enough to also get to the mansion for their "appointments".

When Blood had spoken with his sister on the matter during one of their visits, she had snorted and rolled her eyes. She leaned back on the chair and tilted her head at him.

"There is little chance that this will work." She stated. As always, her little brother looked confused,

"What do you mean?" He asked, and she shook her head, despairing of his ignorance.

"You do not understand how women work," she mumbled, and then louder, "As long as she feels trapped or cornered - and no doubt this agreement has left her feeling as such - she will refuse to acknowledge you during the time she does not have to. We would not be surprised if the second these three months are over, you never hear from her again." Her brother merely smiled,

"Then I guess I need to ensure she does not feel cornered or trapped." The Queen merely raised an eyebrow. "Do not worry yourself, sister," Blood stated, "I took her heart once, I can do it again."

/*\

Ace plopped down onto his bed, exhausted. The few times he could actually find his room in the absurd maze that was the castle, he always took a great deal of comfort from the fact that there was a space within civilization that was for him and him alone. He took in the familiar, though dusty scent of his sheets and stared up at the ceiling, forlorn. He could barely make out the images, as the drapes were drawn and he hadn't bothered to light a lamp.

Alice wasn't giving in. After they had little spats like that, up in the mountains during their secret meetings, her anger never lasted. She would bristle at him a few minutes, heal the wounds she inflicted with her wondrous dragon-fire, and the incident would be forgotten in seconds. They'd return to their conversation, and steer it to more cheerful topics than whatever had set him off.

This time, however, she wasn't going to forgive him. Not that easily. To threaten her was one thing, to threaten those she loved...that was quite another. It would take something big to win her forgiveness, and it would take even more for him to get back into her good graces. Ace thought long and hard, and it took him a good two hours and thirty-seven minutes to figure out the perfect solution.

Alice had told Ace of her past life, but Ace had never told her anything about his, when he was faceless. He briskly stood up, and circled around the bed. He then bent down, flipped the carpet, and lifted the loose floor-board. It was a juvenile trick, but in the event a nosy maid or servant ventured into his room, he needed this one thing to remain safe.

He picked up a rectangular object, covered in dirty white cloth, and unwrapped it carefully. He then replaced the floorboard and fixed the carpet. Ace then blew the dust off of the cover of the book, and flipped open the pages.

The quality of the ink imprints was still good and ever-persevering, though some of the penciled images might need a little bit of revision and maybe tweaking. However, he would not change a single line, curve, or geometric shape that presented itself. If this didn't get Alice to soften up, nothing would. He placed the book in one of the many pockets of his jacket, and silently invoked the Rule of Challenges one last time. Finished with this task, he stepped out of his room, and left the castle.

/*\

When Julius had led her to her room, he left her standing on her own for a moment, but it was still frustrating. She had appreciated his assistance up the stairs, but on level ground she was fine! In spite of that, he had insisted on helping her to her room and more. He pulled down the covers on her bed and stepped towards her when she raised a hand to stop him.

"I am more than capable of putting myself to bed Julius." She barked, irritated. Yes, she was nursing a bullet wound, but it had been two weeks! She was almost completely better! The Clockmaker merely glared at her and crossed his arms. As much as he complained about her, he was more stubborn than she could ever hope to be. She bristled at him until he took the initiative and actually had the audacity to _pick her up_ and place her in the bed.

"What do you think you are doing?!""

/*\

"What do you think you are doing?!" A muffled yelp came from the bedroom. Slightly alarmed Lorina covertly looked around the wall into the room that she and Charles had shared for one night. She was shocked to see the long-haired man - Julius was his name? - lift Alice into his arms, and gently place her on the bed while she snarled that she could do it herself. Lorina, smiling, ducked away before she was seen, but listened as Alice's irritation quieted into pleasant conversation and even bits and pieces of laughter, though it was strictly on her part.

Lorina liked this prospect much better than the Queens knave. Ace had seemed nice enough, but he had seemed rather...odd. Bad odd. Alice could do better. Lorina might not have been to see her sister often at the castle - she was too preoccupied with her husband's strange behavior - but she was aware of _this_ mans consistent presence in the castle at her sister's bedside. It had been her understanding that, had Alice any need or worry, Julius would do his best to remedy the issue at once, and so Lorina had been reassured that Alice was well cared for.

Alice had also spoken very highly of the Clockmaker, who restored life into this horrific and violent world. Her face had softened considerably when she explained what he did, and how it was always so peaceful to relax in his office and watch him repair the clocks as opposed to spending time with the other occupants of Wonderland, who brought her into dangerous situations all the time. Some of the residents had even tried to kill her.

No, just listening to Alice talk about the Clockmaker had already put this man in Lorina's good graces, and so far he seemed quite perfect. He was gorgeous, certainly. His long hair was such a pretty color, and his face was all sharp angles and high cheekbones. He was almost a foot taller than Alice, and though she was definitely a terrifying sight on her own, he still treated her as a proper lady, worthy of all his gentlemanly grace. Watching the careful consideration he showed her sister, the seeming devotion, the respect, and even eavesdropping on their teasing, the eldest sister definitely preferred this man to both Blood and Ace. She would definitely encourage this one to pursue Alice.

Lorina hadn't seen her younger sister interact so happily and carefree with a man since Charles.

/*\

When Julius had finally retired for the night, Alice sighed, and leaned back into her pillow, savoring the clean vanilla scent of her sheets before she sighed, flipped the covers, and stood up.

Just before she left the castle, Dee had delivered an envelope to her. No Dum, just Dee, hiding behind a bush and trying to get her attention as quietly as possible. Inside that envelope had been an invitation to Hatter Mansion.

"Alice Liddell

You are cordially invited to the mansion in three days to attend a private tea party. It will be held one hour after the night period falls.

-The Mad Hatter"

It was odd for him to be so formal, but then...He had used the term 'court'. Perhaps...he wanted to do this in a manner that she would be comfortable with?

_Uh huh, sure,_ she thought, _And pigs are flying._

Blood did as he pleased. He didn't think about anyone but himself. The wings and tail dominating her back, and the insane voice in her head were proof enough of that. However...the thought that this might be an attempt to set something right... No. That was wishful thinking.

Alice had always liked Blood well enough, when he was behaving like a person that is. He was well-versed in culture and literature, and he knew so many things about her world that she had never been allowed an education in, because she was a girl. He had taught her the basics of several different sciences as well as medicine, explained about some of the more complex aspects of the cultures in Asia and Africa, and had even shown her how to read in Italian, when she had asked why one of his books was not in English.

Unlike London, there were far fewer gender-barriers in Wonderland, and when Alice had explained about such things to Blood, he had initially thought she was joking. Insisting she was being serious, he'd taken it upon himself to be both her teacher and friend. Where in her world, it was viewed as unladylike to have knowledge of 'manly' professions and not-so-light subjects, in Wonderland she was only half-educated.

This had shown that Blood had cared about her to some degree. Had it not been for the fact that he was so self-absorbed, was so often senselessly cruel...she would still be on his arm. Alice had slipped the invitation down the front of her dress, having nowhere else to put it and not wanting to risk losing it, and proceeded to the carriage, unable to think of anything else.

**/*\**

**Maybe Blood isn't as horrible as we thought. But yes, please read and review! I just got my fiftieth one! It's great! And to Mycha, who was that fiftieth reviewer: YES! YOU KNOW THE REFERENCE! I've been wanting to use it since the first chapter, but couldn't smuggle in an opportunity until the 24th, so I got really excited when you said Lightning Bug. xD**

**-Static**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello, hello, hello! Am I trying to sound like the phone guy from FNAF? Yes, yes I am. It's not my favorite horror game, but it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. Anyways, you don't care about that, you want more content! So here's a new chapter!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

When Alice arrived at the mansion, it was exactly as the invitation said. A private tea party.

After she'd been led to the back of the mansion, the girl saw a long table set with two places, one at the head where Blood was sitting, and one at the other end of the table. She assumed that place was for her. Aside from the two servants standing to the side with teapots, there was no one other than Blood and Alice present. She sat down, nodding a greeting at this evening's companion,

"Hello Blood," She stated a little tensely. He looked up at her, and responded in a much more relaxed manner,

"Hello Alice, welcome back to the mansion." She fidgeted in her seat as two servants stepped forward to pour each person a cup of tea. Soon enough, they walked away, and to her surprise, they went back into the mansion, instead of returning to their stations a good ten yards away.

"So, how have you been?" she asked, solely out of politeness. She let two sugar cubes plop into the steaming liquid and sipped. As much as she currently detested Blood, he'd remembered what her favorite tea was. That was more than she could say for Charles. She shook her sister's husband out of her mind. He did not matter to her anymore. Blood had taken his place in her heart, and just like before, her affections for him were fading.

As long as she could keep it that way, she would be fine.

"I've had few better days," the man had responded, "What about you?" And then he too took a long draw from his tea, black as always. Alice shrugged,

"Well I was just released from my sickroom at the castle not one day ago." She started innocently, but then narrowed her eyes at him. "I was suffering a bullet wound you see, and the moment I was allowed to go home, a pompous Mafioso demanded I attend a tea party." Blood snickered,

"I'm quite sorry to hear that. Did you need more time to heal?" She set the floral-printed cup down on it's stark white saucer.

"A little, but it is not like I'm nursing stitches anymore. That's something right?"

"Absolutely." And the Mad Hatter studied the girl - no, _woman_ \- and thought about what an interesting individual she had become. She had gone from the dainty little Foreigner, who needed the assistance and protection of everyone around her, to this powerful and fearsome creature whom the populace trembled before. However, she still retained a great deal of her innocence. She knew fairly little of the group that had made multiple attempts on her life. She had no knowledge of the fact that Ace had tortured her most recent assailant for three days straight. She would never believe that the Clockmaker had finished off that assailant via the same means. She didn't even know about the storm in the south.

She could have the world at it's knees in an instant, and yet the other Role-Holders of Wonderland were still protecting her.

The Hatter was broken out of his reverie when Alice said his name a little too loudly,

"Yes?" He asked, his gaze returning to the very woman he'd been musing on, Alice merely tilted her head, an eyebrow raised, the candlelight glinting harshly off her silver crown.

"What did you have planned for this evening?" she repeated, now that she had Blood's attention.

"Sorry?"

"...When we have finished our tea," She started again, slowly, "What did you have planned?" Still the man looked a bit confused, "Is courting a lot different here?" And Blood felt a little relieved.

Explaining things to Alice was not a new experience for him. He had even supplied half her education because the people of her other world were extremely stingy over what women should and should not know. When Alice had questions, he almost always had the answers she was looking for, and now was no exception.

"I see. Courting in Wonderland is much different than in your world. It's less...meticulous." He chose his words carefully, so as not to offend her over the vast culture-gap, "As a general rule, as long as the man is capable of keeping the woman alive and uninjured - you know how dangerous Wonderland is - the assignation is considered a success. The most planning put into such affairs is deciding on the safest destinations." As he reached the end of his explanation, Alice's eyebrows scrunched up a bit,

"That doesn't sound very romantic." She commented absently, her hands resting lightly around the cup. Bloods eyes glinted. He set his elbows on the table and leaned forward, resting his chin on his folded hands.

"If it's romantic you want, we can go someplace a little more...private." He suggested, his voice low, words weighed down with charm.

Knowing exactly what he was implying, Alice threw one of her heels at him.

/*\

When Ace showed up at their usual meeting place, he was deciding whether or not he wanted to take the defensive and have his sword ready. When Alice was angry, she could be rather unpredictable. One of two situations would play out, either Alice would attack, and likely inflict some pretty nasty cuts and bruises, or she would simply step out in front of him, cross her arms, and stare at him glaringly.

As Ace leaned against a tree, to avoid being snuck up on, he realized with a bit of relief that it was the latter option. For the first time since becoming the Knave of Hearts, he didn't feel like fighting, his objective was too important for such a disruption.

_Kill her!_ The voice in his head screamed, _Kill her NOW!_ It was a womans voice, the voice that had belonged to the Dame of Hearts, the woman who had held the role before him. As always, he ignored her, and stepped forward.

"Alice," He stated softly,

"Ace," she returned, nodding her head once in greeting, "Why have you called me here?"

"I wanted to make amends." She raised an eyebrow,

"And how, exactly, do you intend to do that?" Her head tilted back haughtily, a movement that irritated the man a little, but he suppressed the urge to take out his sword and swing. Right now, riling her up would not help the situation. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't care. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure why he cared now.

Deciding he'd mull over the issue later, he pulled his treasure out of his jacket.

Alice was surprised. Ace was attempting to apologize...with a book? She opened her mouth to question him, when he raised his hand. Nomally she'd be irritated, but this time the gesture held a note of pleading. _Please let me make the first move._ She decided to let the annoyance slip, and looked Ace straight in the eye.

"Go on," She quietly commanded. He said nothing and moved to offer her the book, then stopped. He was hesitating, and that caught a great amount of the girl's interest. She'd just returned from her evening with Blood, which had put her in quite a mood, but seeing Ace behave so shy, so reserved, as if he was offering up...something that was very precious to him, it completely erased Blood from her thoughts. For a moment she wondered if it was his journal, and upon asking the question, he seemed to retreat into himself a bit more.

"A little," He'd answered, "Have I ever told you about my life before I was the Knave?" She shook her head, hands falling to her side. No longer was she on the defensive. He'd broken through her angry shell with her curiosity.

"May I?" She asked, gesturing to the book. Observing the confliction in his eyes, she pulled back. Clearly this was something that made him vulnerable, if he was this uncomfortable, she would not pry. She stepped away, raising her hand in a surrendering gesture, but Ace caught her wrist.

"Come sit with me," He said, nodding to the log they always used as their own personal bench. After she had sat herself beside him, he hastily placed the tome in her hands. There, it was done, here was his apology.

"When I was a faceless," he started again, "I was an artist." He gestured for her to open, and the very first page, instead of a passage of writing, was one of the most beautiful drawings she had ever seen. It was an image depicting Heart Castle. It was done in pen, and it encompassed the very front of the building. It portrayed the roundabout, the staircase in, and the front of the castle all the way up to the stained glass windows, with a few hedges and guards making their presences in the sides of the image.

In the bit of surrounding hedges, it looked as if he'd captured each and every detail, every leaf and branch, and even a few roses in the tiny space of paper. The bricks in the roundabout had the appropriate amounts of cracks and spaces, the fountain was made up of gorgeous curves and shading, and the castle itself had been detailed to a fault. The stained glass looked real, Ace had shaded it so well, and the shining glare of the sun had been recreated perfectly. The sky and clouds were placed in a perfect state of eternal evening, the shadows and light contrasting harshly to give off the correct appearance. Had it not been for the shade of the paper, just a little off white, she might have thought it to be a photograph.

"Ace, this is-" she started, and then stopped, unknowing what to say. She flipped through a few more pages, taking at least a minute to absorb each and every image. Her companion wasn't sure of her thoughts. For a moment, he was a little afraid she didn't like the pictures. Finally, she looked back up at him.

"Ace, these are beautiful." She said, gazing at him in awe. In that moment, the Knave knew he had been forgiven, and even better, she'd appreciated his art. He smiled at her,

"Would you like to know the stories behind them?" She nodded her head eagerly, the sharp incisors of her teeth shining as she grinned back, just as wide. He scooted a few inches closer,

"Oh! Will you tell me about this one first?" She asked, pointing out an image of a few Mafia servants, detailed as though they were Role-Holders. He looked down at it in confusion, when had he...? Oh that's right!

"Sure, so I was on a mission for the previous Queen..." And Ace spent the next three time periods explaining the ideas behind each and every drawing in his sketchbook.

/*\

A few days later, Alice was sitting in the windowsill of the grand master bedroom of the tower, flipping through Ace's sketchbook. She still couldn't believe that her psychopathic friend was capable of creating something so beautiful, and yet here it was, this book filled with sketches, an unreadable signature on the bottom right corner of each page.

Then she heard someone approach the room. She quickly hid the book away in her dresser, and padded towards the door.

As far as she knew both her sisters were asleep, as it was their normal nap time. If it had been Nightmare, he'd have barged into her room instantly, begging her to hide him from Gray, who had managed to get all the paperwork from Clover Tower sent to hers. This also meant it couldn't be Gray, as he was probably in the office right at that moment ensuring the incubus maintained his responsibilities. Pierce was also not expected. He was still sleeping off his fourteen time periods of work. This left Julius, who was always welcome company.

She opened the door after three knocks rang out, and to her surprise, it wasn't Julius. It was her sister. Immediately she retracted her wings as tightly into her back as possible, her tail swinging around to hide behind the door.

"Lorina," She squeaked, "What are you doing here?"

/*\

Shortly before Lorina made her stop at Alice's room, she had tracked down the Clockmaker. It hadn't been that big of a task, there was a rather large storage room across from Alice's office. There was just one small window near the ceiling, but it was a decent enough size, and it was in this room that he'd set up shop.

There was a used desk sitting just underneath the centered window, and two bookshelves on either side of the carpeted floor. The top of each case was lined with books, but the rest of the space was taken up with small boxes full of clocks. The left bookshelf was filled with broken clocks, while the right was reserved for whatever timepieces had been repaired. He had been concentrating on tightening a screw into his current project when he heard a soft rapping on the door. A little surprised, he looked up and removed his glasses. Who would be knocking on his door?

"Come in." He answered. He was rather displeased with the disruption. If it was Alice it would be okay, but if it was that damned dream demon again...

When the door opened, he was graced with the sight of Alice's elder sister, a dressing gown neatly thrown on over her nightwear. Needless to say, the Clockmaker was surprised. He'd heard of her, had seen her, but had never personally spoken with her.

"How can I help you?" He asked, a bit confused and more than a little uneasy. The woman had said nothing after being invited in, she had promptly sat herself down in the chair opposite his desk. The chair that only Alice could ever get away with sitting in unscathed. She perched herself on the seat and stared at him intently, her vibrant violet eyes scrutinizing his every feature.

Julius had never felt more uncomfortable in his life. Being Alice's relative, he needed to be...nice. Before Alice showed up his life had been so much easier. He hadn't needed to be nice.

"How do you feel about my sister?" She questioned the moment his gaze flickered away from hers. He met her eyes once more, his eyebrows scrunching up, a dark smattering of red covering his cheeks.

"Excuse me?"

"My sister, how do you feel about her?" Her voice had slowed, and gotten just a decibel louder. Well, now he knew where Alice got it from.

"...What do you mean?" He asked. This was not a conversation he wanted to have. With anyone. Especially not the sister. He was desperately searching for an escape route when she rolled her eyes at him, finally breaking her nerve-wracking stare.

"I see how you look at her. I know you were taking care of her for the duration of our stay in Heart Castle. I watch how sweetly you treat her. I see how you converse, I know she thinks quite highly of you, and I daresay, you think equally highly of her." The Clockmaker had no idea how to react.

"..." Lorina raised an eyebrow,

"Nothing to say? You do not wish to be with my sister?" Her voice had taken on a dangerous undertone. "If that is so, then why do you spend so much time with her? Why are you living in her _house_?" Julius was officially freaked out. He had never dealt with a situation like this before and he had no idea how to react. Why did the sister have to be just as bull-headed as Alice?

"I...uh...um..." He was panicking, trying to find the correct string of words to appease Lorina Liddell, but instead of angering her further his awkwardness made her laugh.

"I see," she said, "You are careful with your feelings, just like her." Her eyes softened, "I came here to let you know that, if you wish it, you have the Liddell family's blessing to be with her." And with that, she stood up to leave, but just before she closed the door, she faced him.

"I have never seen her so happy as when she spends time with you, and you are so much better in the way you treat her as opposed to every other man we've seen thus far. You should not squander this chance." She stated, so softly that Julius almost couldn't hear her, and then she disappeared, and the door clicked shut.

A little uncertain as to what he was supposed to do with the extremely odd and upsetting incident, he turned his attention back to the clock.

_What the hell just happened?_ He thought.

**/*\**

**There we go, another chapter. Lorina is finally interfering in Alice's love life. Normally, I'm not one for writing romance, but it's The Country of X. There can't not be romance. But anyways, LEAVE ME REVIEWS! I NEED THEM DESPERATELY DX XD This chapter was a little rushed, so if there are any spelling/grammar errors I apologize profusely!**

**-Static**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey, I know it's been a few days, but school had suddenly hit me with four essay assignments all in the same three days xD *weeps in my emo-corner* anyways, here's a new chapter. I promise I'll get around to updating Origin Stories soon. In fact, if you want I'll make it my next update!**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice could not remember ever feeling so infuriated in her life. At least not at her sister. Did she really just have the gall to come into her room and attempt to fix her up with a suitor? _Julius_ no less? Did she have any idea what she may have just done?

Julius was not one to put up with such suggestions.

Lorina may have just ruined Alice's friendship with the one person she really trusted.

The Dragon was not happy.

"YOU DID _WHAT_?!" She snarled, her voice becoming hoarse, "Do you have any idea what you may have just done?!" Lorina, sitting on the foot of the bed while her sister paced angrily back and forth, was extremely confused and a little scared. It was still horrifying enough that Alice was now a dragon - it was unnatural in so many different ways - but now she was angry, and Lorina had no idea why.

"What?" the woman questioned, "I thought this development would make you happy..." She trailed off, clearly dejected, but right now Alice didn't care.

"You...you..." and then unknowning what to say, Alice merely shrieked in her rage. Then, a little calmer, she huffed. "He's one of the only real friends I have, and now..." Lorina tilted her head,

"I doubt that will change." She stated, Alice whirled on her.

"Lorina, I know that you are used to your assumptions being correct-"

"He adores you." Her sister stated simply, cutting off every word Alice was about to say.

"What? No he doesn't."

"Yes he does."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Enough!" Lorina finally declared, "Alice, it's okay." She stood and walked up to her sister and place her hands on the dragon girl's shoulders. "You look so happy when you're with him. _You deserve this_." Was all she said before walking out the door.

Not knowing how to react, Alice simply locked the door behind Lorina and confronted the too white room. She stared at the bed for about a minute before she ran and jumped. Landing on the soft expanse of silk, she buried her face in her pillow.

"Why me?" She moaned into the cover.

/*\

Nightmare, being the gossipy old bat he was, listened in on Alice's newest headache. It would appear that Lorina wanted the Mortician to make a move on Alice.

_I knew it._ He thought to himself, _I knew they had some sort of connection not two weeks after she arrived. _In fact, if he recalled correctly, he'd been the first person to attempt pushing Alice and the Watchmaker together.

Then there was the fact that Alice had become the Jabberwocky.

As Julius had stated in Alice's sickroom in the castle, the Clockmaker and the Dragon were quite closely affiliated.

As the demon pretended to read over the odious amounts of paperwork his aide had placed before him, he continued to observe the minds around him.

Alice was enraged, naturally. She thought that her sister had destroyed her amicable relationship with Julius. She wondered if he'd ever be able to look at her the same again, or if he would even acknowledge her existence once more. Julius - against all odds - was one of Alice's favorite people. He held more of her heart than the Hatter ever had, and maybe ever would.

Julius - the boring fool - was caught up in his work as per usual. Yes, Lorina's suggestion was zipping around in his mind at a million miles an hour, but ultimately, he was repressing it with all the steps of clock reparation. The situation was a little overwhelming for him. Being both such a hermit and so outwardly cold, he'd never been popular with other people, and so had never been placed in one such position before. So for now he would ignore the issue and decide his plan of action once all the clocks got fixed.

Last but not least, Lorina. She was good, _almost_ as good as Nightmare. She had seen the compatibility between the two the moment she observed their interactions, and determined that a catalyst was required in order for them to consider alternative relations. Unfortunately, she had no idea of the repercussions that she might provoke. Both Julius and Alice reacted far too harshly to such innocent suggestions, like raw nerves. They both disliked the idea of closeness, both physical and emotional, however where one saw it as unnecessary and a waste of time, the other was unwilling to risk the pain.

_They are both such cliche's. It's almost cute._ He thought, before he was promptly broken out of his thoughts by Gray demanding he recite the terms and conditions of the newest land agreement with Heart Castle.

/*\

The Mad Hatter was annoyed the moment he led his "guests" into the office. After all that had happened, everything that he'd been told, and he was expected to take those two cretins in with no objection? The Hatter was not a kind man - he was the head of the Mafia for God's sake - but even he disdained the crimes that the two men before him had committed. Even the Mob had a better moral code than that. The people one is supposed to harm are _enemies_ not your _family_.

"So you're telling me," he stated slowly, "That in spite of the fact that _you_ sent her to an insane asylum when she was not ill, where she was almost _raped_ by a man almost twenty years older than her, and then told her to pretend it didn't happen," He flung his hat onto the coat rack and plopped down in his office chair, the red gem at the top of his cane held tightly to his palm. He was trying to decide if he should kill them then and there. "You would still expect me to give you housing here?"

"It is our understanding," the doppleganger answered, completely ignoring the first part of the statment, "That you are to send us back at the end of the week. If we are already here, it makes your job easier at the end of that week." Blood held in the urge to snort. It was common knowledge in Wonderland that the Mafia boss disliked putting effort into any project whatsoever. That was part of why he was so convinced that Alice would at least consider forgiving him after he'd brought her family here.

She had seen that was willing to put in a little effort for her.

However for these two men to prey upon his lazy nature...that would not do. Suddenly the secret prison cells came to mind, and the Hatter just barely concealed a smile.

"Fine, I'll give you housing." And then he stood up and left the room, whispering orders to Elliot once the door closed behind him.

/*\

The twins gazed at the ruins at their feet in grim satisfaction, a spare arm or foot littering the gray and red mess before them.

When Peter had shown himself and asked about the explosives, the children's moods had brightened considerably. So they were not the only ones who wanted to destroy the place, and now they had a scapegoat should Alice react negatively to their surprise.

Perfect.

Naturally, Alice would be sad if the innocent patients of the asylum were harmed. It was not their fault that they were sick, or that their families were so traitorous as to put thim in a place like this. It would not do to allow this group of people to die, because if sis found out... However the staff members of Bedlam were quite a different story.

Before they could have their fun they needed to get the patients out, but find a way to keep the staff in. They mulled over their options, when a great idea came to them. It would take time, but it would be totally worth it.

Once the doctors all thought they were locked in the cells, the twins and Peter herded the patients to the exit. They were all convinced that three separate doctors were telling them to get out, and they were all too eager to do so.

Once the last of the inmates had been released into the courtyard of the asylum, the twins placed each and every stick of dynamite they had brought with them. Having neatly found all of the weak spots in the architecture, they pulled out all of the extra fuse.

It took the twins almost an hour to connect the forty explosives to one single white string, and they took a moment to marvel at their artwork. All this effort, and in just minutes, this place would be rubble.

They lit the fuse, and in just about thirty minutes, all that could be heard was the destruction of brick, bone, and vocal chords.

Alice would be delighted.

/*\

As Boris got closer and closer to Clover Tower, the more nervous he was. He could sense the storm, feel the malicious intent that controlled the clouds, smell the blood from those unfortunate enough to be caught in the supernatural rain...

Once he got as close as he was willing to go, the Cheshire Cat crawled up into the tallest tree he could find, and observed the building.

The Tower was destroyed. The rain had completely eaten away at the stone bricks and the glass looked broken. It was slowly deteriorating in height, and it looked as though the top few floors had already been completely decimated. Then he turned his attention to the base of the Tower.

All the faceless clocks that were caught in that storm were irreparably broken. None of these people would ever be replaced again, and as he looked down at several of the dead, he watched as the rain ate away at the remaining flesh. As the afterimages attempted to approach, they were shot down by the droplets, even deadlier than bullets. Boris was surprised. To his knowledge, nothing could harm the afterimages, and he couldn't help but to feel slightly irked.

Part of the Cheshire Cat's role was to know things.

Important things.

He concluded that the rain was made of acid, where it hit everything died and was destroyed, and the storm was still moving.

Boris, having seen a great deal more than he would have liked, jumped out of the tree and started running back to the Amusement Park. He needed to tell the old man. Then they needed to go tell Alice.

She had, after all, created this storm.

**/*\**

**Short chapter, I know, but I had to put something out there. I know how I'm going to end this, and it will please you to hear that there will be at least three more chapters before then. :3**

**-Static**


	28. Chapter 28

**Just a couple more chapters and it's all over! Well not all over. There will be a sequel, but in the interim I will be writing different stuff. :P But still, there are more chapters to come! **

**-Static**

**/*\**

It had been two time periods later into the day when Julius had actually managed to fix all the clocks. In spite of his instructions to take time off, Ace had come to Jabberwocky Tower with a potato sack full of bloody clocks, and the Clockmaker had been quite annoyed to say the least. But now his work was done. It was over. He could finally get some rest.

He trekked to the one spare bedroom in the tower. It was very quite convenient for him, as Nightmare and Gray were staying with the Dormouse, and Alice's two sisters were sharing a room. Not much pleased the Clockmaker, but the fact that he got to have a bed as opposed to the chaise...Well there was no cynicism to be found there. He locked the door behind him and changed into his nightclothes, reveling in the fact that he did not have to fall asleep at his desk. He let himself fall onto the bed, and he closed his eyes. The tranquility was too rare for him to not savor it.

The Role was a work addict. If just one clock was left out of repair, it would not shut up about it, that was why he was - as Alice would call it - a 'workaholic'. If he took just even one break, the Role would freak out.

_I can hear you,_ it muttered, _You know that right?_

_I do,_ Julius answered, _I just don't care._ He could feel the other entity bristling, but just as quickly it calmed down.

_So,_ it started again, it's voice taking on a sly tone of voice that Julius did not particularly care for, _What are you going to do about Alice?_

_Excuse me?_

_Alice._ It repeated, _It's clear that the sister thinks you should make a move. In fact, didn't Nightmare share a similar opinion?_ It questioned, bringing forth the memory of the dream demon attempting to fix the two up as though he were Julius's grandmother, rather than a fellow Role-Holder. One he didn't even like that much.

_Do we have to do this _now_?_ Julius complained, _I am exhausted. I fixed the clocks. Can't you just go away?_

_Now, now Julius._ It chided, clearly having fun, _That's not very nice. That being said, I'm serious. If you have the option to court the Jabberwocky..._ It trailed off, and that was when something occurred to the Clockmaker.

_What exactly _is_ your relationship with the Jabberwocky? I know the two roles have a history of working together but..._

There was no answer.

/*\

Alice's next meeting with Blood wasn't nearly as tense as the first, but she was not about to let her guard down. Her bullet wound had completely healed. It was still a little sore, but the scar was fading, and she was perfectly capable of walking on her own once more. She was completely back on her feet, and she would have been quite happy with this revelation had it not been for the bloody Mad Hatter.

This outing would not be nearly so bad if she could not smell the smugness tainting his scent.

Alice knew that she should not have allowed this particular set of terms, but she'd had no choice. Blood had what she liked to call 'spoiled brat complex'. If he didn't get his way, he'd throw a tantrum, and it would likely end up in far too many deaths for it to be rational. Not that it was rational anyways. She'd given in, and Blood had gotten what he wanted. She disliked giving him the satisfaction.

"...Alice?" Blood's voice rang out, "Alice are you listening?"

"Sorry," she said, "Can you repeat that? I got distracted." He chuckled,

"My, the young miss cannot even pay attention for five minutes." She attempted to pull away from him, but his eyes glistened with warning. That's right, part of the agreement was that he could hold her hand. She stopped struggling, and glared,

"Do you honestly think that this patronizing of yours will endear you to me?" She growled. The Hatter merely smiled,

"My apologies, it was not my intention to be patronizing. But no matter, we are here." And once again, Alice found herself in the secret rose garden where she had - on a handful of occasions - met with both Blood and his sister, Vivaldi. Vivaldi was the Queen of Hearts, and as a result, was the Mafia Boss's worst enemy. She'd always thought it was a rather cruel twist of fate that the siblings be given Roles that demanded they eviscerate each other, but they did not appear to care much about it. Like many other Role-Holders, they found ways to twist the Rules.

She wanted to know how to twist the Rules, and because she was still technically the Foreigner, she should be able to.

Not long after they'd stepped into the garden Blood had broken away from her, and now he returned with a potted plant.

A rose from the garden.

"When you return home today," he said, "I want you to take this with you. I heard that your room in the tower was far too...devoid of color, for your tastes." Alice took the pot and raised an eyebrow,

"I never told-" Then she stopped. Oh, that's right.

The Mafia was everywhere.

Blood simply smiled and offered his arm once more. She took it, but inside she was angry.

The Mad Hatter had her exactly where he wanted her. He knew that, and she knew that.

As they continued their stroll through the rose garden, she could not help but think to herself how much she wished this three months would be over already.

/*\

When Boris returned to the Amusement Park, he was astonished at the scene playing out before him.

Gowland was fighting in front of a roller-coaster, firing away with his violin-turned-rifle, and that in itself was not unusual. No the strange thing was that he was firing at _park workers._

"Old Man!" The Cheshire Cat called, rushing up to him, shoving past the wounded and dying, "What are you doing?!"

"They've lost their goddamn minds!" He exclaimed, sniping down a few more workers, and as Boris continued watching, he realized that Gowland was right. To his left, faceless were either going on insane rants, or holding their heads as though they were in extreme pain. To his right, workers were loading bullets into their pistols, sick smiles on their faces, before pointing at both the cat and the park owner. While his skills weren't nearly as good as Ace's, Boris could still dodge bullets quite well. He didn't hesitate to shoot back, though his confusion was ever-present.

"Why are you guys doing this?!" He called into the ranks, and a woman stepped forward.

"The Role-Holders must perish." She stated, though her voice...it didn't sound right. It sounded less like the woman was speaking so much as _two _women were speaking. Then Boris remembered something.

The Cheshire Cat had been gone for almost two weeks, finding out whatever he could about the storm, and while sneaking around the Mad Hatters prison cells, he'd come across a man. A man that the other prisoners insisted could tell the future.

"Do you know anything about the storm?" He'd asked this man, trying his best to stay quiet so as not to alert the guards.

"I sure do!" He answered boisterously, far too loud for Boris's comfort.

"Pipe down!" the cat scolded, "Can you tell me anything about it?" The old man chuckled,

"Sure!" And after a few moments of silence, Boris started getting a little irritated,

"_Will_ you tell me?" He growled, and the man laughed a little more.

"If you want to know so much about the storm, why don't you just ask the Hatter?" He spat the name bitterly, "He came down here not three days ago, demanding I use my powers to find out more about the Dragon. I told him everything there is to know." Boris sighed,

"The Hatter and I are...acquainted," He stated, thinking it might not be wise to let the prisoners know he was on friendly terms with their captor, "And I use the word lightly." He implied, "Surely you understand why I cannot ask the Hatter himself?" The old man scrunched up the blur of his face and stared at the cat.

"Why should I tell you anything? What do you intend to do with this information?" Boris's ears flattened,

"A couple reasons, first and foremost," He answered carefully, "I want to help the Jabberwocky retain her sanity. If she loses her mind, there's no telling the damage she'll do. Second, such information might be useful in the future, should the Jabberwocky die and a new one take her place. If we know how to keep her in check, we may never again face the crisis of two hundred years ago." The old man nodded thoughtfully, and was quiet for several minutes, debating.

"Your reasons are, well, reasonable," he finally chuckled, "The power to see into the future is a hefty one. If not used responsibly, terrible things can happen. My own abuse of that power is what left me rotting in this cell." He showed of his manacles, forlorn. "I'll tell you what you want to know, cat..." And the old man's explanation left Boris feeling absolutely terrified.

In short, the storm in itself was created by the Jabberwocky. Not only did it destroy whatever crossed it's path, but it drove the faceless insane. If those faceless were to survive long enough, they would turn into monsters, and this proclamation was evidenced when Boris watched as the woman in front him.._.transformed._

Her spine and limbs elongated to unnatural lengths, several cracking sounds ringing throughout the area. Her nails grew into fearsome claws, blood dripping from each and every one, and her skin dulled from a healthy tanned glow, to the gray of a corpse just before it vanished. Her lips parted into a gruesome smile, showcasing a mouth full of fangs, and a snake tongue slithered between her teeth.

"The Jabberwocky will get her revenge!" The voices of the faceless monster snarled, and swung her arm down in hopes of spearing the two Role-Holders through. Both of them managed to dart away, and with a snap of his fingers, Gowland changed the time to night.

"Run Boris!" He shouted, as the faceless stumbled around in the dark, shrieking and crying and ranting, and Boris followed the Old Man to the outside of the mob, sliding between the park workers with ease, dodging any and all attempts on his health. Blinded, they had no idea what was going on. They started panicking and killing each other, using either guns or claws, hoping to catch the Role-Holders in the crossfire.

"We can't stay here any longer." Boris stated, observing the chaos, and Gowland nodded his agreement.

"Go back to your apartment and pack only the things you need. There are a few sane left, and they are going to accompany us to Jabberwocky Tower."

/*\

When Queen Vivaldi heard that the Amusement Park had been overrun by deranged faceless, she became increasingly concerned. It was rumored that the storm had dangerous effects, but for it to have such a strong impact on the citizens...it worried her. According to the Cheshire Cat - who had been responsible for spreading the news - the faceless were even changing into monsters due to it's influence.

Vivaldi leaned back in her luxurious chair, her guards standing perfectly straight at each and every doorway to the throne room. She looked over all of the men carefully, searching for the symptoms that the cat had described. That was when one of the guards lost his posture, and started glancing around the room, appearing confused.

"Hey," he whispered to his companion, "Do you know what we're supposed to be doing? I've forgotten."

That settled it.

Vivaldi called for the Knave of Hearts.

/*\

When Alice retreated into her room at Jabberwocky Tower that night period, she collapsed onto her bed, and pulled the pillow over her head and ears. She knew it was futile, but she still tried.

_Kill them_. The voice said, _They do not deserve your love or affection. They are Role-Holders! They use you to fulfill their purpose and that's it! You have absolutely nothing to lose. Kill them._

_I don't want to._ She answered.

_Kill them._

_No._

_Kill them!_

_No!_

_KILL THEM ALL!_

"SHUT UP!" She screamed into her pillow, but it was no use. The voice just kept speaking, getting louder and louder, telling her how weak she was and that she was not worthy of the Jabberwocky title. She knew what her mistake had been, but she had no idea how to reverse it. She didn't know how to make the voice be quiet, and so she sobbed into her bed until she was too tired to cry anymore.

**/*\**

**So. Now we know what the storm does! Please leave reviews! I absolutely adore the fact that I get to hear your guys responses and thoughts to my work! So do not hesitate to leave a comment, good or bad! R&amp;R! :D**

**-Static**


	29. Chapter 29

**One more chapter...**

**-Static**

**/*\**

Alice awoke in the morning to knocking on her door. In no mood to leave her spot cuddled up in her blankets, she called for her unexpected guest to come in. The doorknob rattled,

"It's locked," Julius called. Well there went her plans of staying in bed. She groaned and pushed the covers away, missing their softness immediately. She padded over to the door, and with a clicking sound, the rectangular piece of wood was pulled away to reveal the Clockmaker.

Alice was a little nervous. After Lorina's little surprise yesterday, she wasn't sure what her friend would do. She had meant it when she told her sister that she might have just destroyed one of her most treasured friendships.

There was no one in Wonderland that Alice trusted more than Julius.

The man in question looked a bit...flustered, to say the least, and Alice knew that he was nervous, and she sighed inwardly. Why couldn't Lorina mind her own business? She needed her friends right now, and if Julius was going to be silly and awkward in a time when she really couldn't be dealing with it...Well she just might have to kick him out of the tower. The Jabberwocky's voice was enough of an issue right now.

Julius glared down at her, a soft smattering of red crossing his cheeks, and Alice raised an eyebrow challengingly.

"I need to ask your Role a question."

Well that was unexpected.

/*\

When Ace, having been found wandering around the forest near Heart castle, heard that the Queen had called for him, he debated as to whether or not he should kill the guard. He really did not feel like putting up with Vivaldi's beheadings today, however Julius had told him to stop bringing in clocks...That being said, if he killed the messenger, that would be just one more timepiece, as opposed to the thirty-some-odd faceless on death row in the dungeons.

He was about to skewer the poor card when the faceless spoke again.

"She wants to talk to you about the approaching storm. It's already destroyed Clover Tower, and the Amusement Park has been overrun." This caught the Knave's interest, and the card sighed in relief, realizing that he'd bought himself a bit more time.

"Overrun? What do you mean 'overrun'?" And as the card repeated the Cheshire Cat's words, Ace's Role went off the deep end.

_I bloody TOLD you! _The woman's voice crowed, _I TOLD you to kill her, but no-O! Because you want to be a rebellious little tool, you've allowed her existence to continue, and _now_ look what's happened!_

_Would you _shut up_?!_ Ace growled in response, _I'm trying to listen here!_ Absolutely oozing childish satisfaction, the Role piped down for a moment, but it was all for nothing, Ace only just grasped the last of the card's words.

"Hold up," Ace interrupted, "You said the faceless are turning into _monsters_?" And for the first time in his life, he questioned the sanity of someone other than himself. Surely this man had heard wrong.

"The Queen said she'd explain. She only asked that I lead you back so that she might explain as soon as possible." And then, just as the two men were about to set off, a serpentine sound resonated from the bushes, and a multitude of voices spoke.

"Knave of Heartsss," they hissed, some high, some low, and some not sounding entirely human, "You shall be the firssst to sssuffer our wrath." And then the creatures showed themselves.

It was just like the kitty-cat's descriptions. Their bodies and limbs were too long. Their skin was a sickly grayish color, and watching the snake tongues flick out between the jagged sets of teeth...Ace had never seen anything like it in all the time he'd been a Role-Holder, and it almost made him want to puke. Even after he'd beaten and dismembered people, and had even dissected corpses on multiple occasions, never had he seen such disgusting disfigurement. One of the creatures stepped forward and flexed it's hands, showing off the claws - at least a foot long each - that it intended to fight with. It appeared to have been a woman, as it was wearing a tattered Amusement Park uniform made up of a skirt and jacket, and through the rags that used to be clothes, Ace could see the woman's bones desperately trying to poke through the skin. She looked completely emaciated.

While Ace was caught in his observations, his background senses picked up movement. More and more of these creatures were surrounding both him and the card. He detected at least twenty of them, and then they all spoke in unison.

"_May the Jabberwocky show you her pain_." And, all at once, they attacked.

/*\

Elliot had been a Role-Holder for quite some time. He was not the oldest of his peers, not by far, but he'd existed as the March Hare for enough time that he had almost every single Rule and Event of the Game memorized. He knew the protocols for the Foreigners Game. He knew how to survive the Game of Joker. He could even make it in the Game of Clocks.

In his time - forgive the phrase - Elliot had seen some shit, but he had never seen _this._

He'd heard of this Game, to be sure. Blood, lazy as he was, loved history. Especially Wonderlandian History. Being the Mad Hatter's second-in-command, Elliot picked up the odd bit of information here and there, but he'd never given those random phrases or sentiments much thought, at least not until now.

One day in the garden, Blood had been babbling on about the storm. Where it had come from, where it was going, what it's purpose in Wonderland was. He'd also described the side effects. First, the faceless citizens would start to forget things, odd duties or appointments, and then their families and friends, and then their very names. The amnesia would progress to complete and utter insanity. Once this happened, they would transform into monsters, assuming the storm didn't kill them first. Once this happened, the Role-Holders would be in for the fights of their lives, and eventually, they too would succumb to the influence of the supernatural rainfall.

Naturally, Elliot hadn't really believed this - surely if the faceless had ever gone on one such rampage, it would be common knowledge right? - it hadn't struck a single note of worry in his mind. Now, that all changed.

Elliot was faced with ten of these faceless monsters. He was completely surrounded at the edge of the rose gardens, and on a normal day, he would be able to take them no problem, however in this particular instance, he was at a slight disadvantage.

They were no longer faceless.

He had no idea what they could do.

After several minutes of listening to the creatures hiss and speak, he decided his best course of action might be the most obvious one.

Just start shooting.

Much to the Hare's dismay, the monsters were _fast_. Like the damned Knave, they could dodge bullets as though they were nothing more than paper airplanes. He managed to shoot one or two of them down - his aim was unrivaled - he was still outnumbered, and he was running out of ammo. After the first ten minutes or so of combat passed, Elliot was feeling a little nervous.

Aside from his brief battle with the Clockmaker's bodyguard, he'd never lost a fight with anyone.

That was when the sick sound of metal tearing through flesh and cracking bones could be heard, and when the March Hare turned, he almost wished the monsters had killed him. Almost.

"Stupid sissy chickie-rabbit." A voice growled, far deeper than it should have been.

"He can't even take down a few faceless." Another remarked.

"Where the hell have you two been?!" Elliot snarled at the Bloody Twins, who had morphed to their adult forms and were now methodically beheading and/or dismembering the creatures that used to be servants. They darted around the gardens, their movements perfectly symmetrical, battle-axes dripping rank red liquid.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" One of them whooped. The not-rabbit's ears flattened. It was bad enough he'd had to be _saved_ by these two. Now he had to deal with their smart remarks, and then explain to Blood what had happened.

No, he _definitely_ wished those things had killed him.

/*\

When Gray answered the door of Jabberwocky Tower at high noon, he wasn't entirely sure how to react.

The Queen, her Prime Minister, and the Knave were all standing to the right side of his line of vision. To his left stood The Hatter, The Bloody Twins, and the March Hare. If this wasn't strange enough, each and every individual was completely drenched in blood, even the Queen. What _happened_?

Upon asking the question, the Hatter straightened and started talking.

"We were attacked." And as he further explained the situation, it became quite clear to the lizard what, exactly, was going on.

They needed to talk to Alice.

/*\

Nightmare was all too aware of the condition his lovely hostess was in. Being a mind-reader, he could hear each and every thought that passed through her head, even the communications between her and her Role.

When Alice had broken down during the memory of Bedlam, the Dragon had found it's in. Alice had left herself vulnerable, and though no one could blame her given the circumstances, she still realized it as the mistake it was.

Alice had spent an entire year repressing the Dragon, giving it absolutely zero ammunition against her, and now that the horrid creature had found a weakness to prey on, a glitch in Alice's mind, it was slowly taking over.

Normally, the Roles would remain docile on their own, but if they needed to, the Role-Holders could force the intruding entities to be silent. Not so with the Jabberwocky. Until Alice was capable of dealing with her memory in a healthy manner, the Dragon would continue to torment her.

At the rate things were going, Nightmare didn't have much hope.

/*\

The Jabberwocky Role, in the Dream Realm, took the shape of a woman. She was tall, slender, and pale. Her eyes were a striking shade of yellow, and her hair was long and glossy, so black it almost looked purple. The scales on her wings and tale glimmered gold. Her incisors were so long, that they poked out between her lips, and her face was far too angular to appear truly humanoid.

She was dressed in a skirt and top, her feet completely bare. The skirt was made of billowy white cloth, and her top just barely wrapped around her breasts, leaving a great deal of skin uncovered. A small bit of metal plating wound itself around her neck, and she wore copper gauntlets on her arms. A crown identical to Alice's rested on top of her head, and as she walked through the colorful mists of the Dream Realm, entirely alone, she could not help but to dwell on the injustices done to her.

_I'm sorry!_ She'd sobbed, pushing down her pride and dignity, _I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! It was an accident! Forgive me!_

And yet the other Roles had not listened to a single word. She'd always been different from the rest of them, but only one had ever treated her as an equal, as a _person_. That one Role had vouched for her, asked that she be given another chance, but it hadn't mattered.

In spite of all the evidence in her favor, the pleading, the apologizing, they had still united against her.

Though the tragedy had not been her fault, she had still been penalized.

And now that she'd been brought back into the Game after her two hundred years in oblivion...

_She would make them pay._

/*\

**I was a little hesitant to write that last segment, as I've never seen the Roles themselves personified before, especially a Role that's technically not canon, but then again, this is **_**fanfiction**_**. If I can't throw a crazy idea out here, then I can't do it anywhere. LEAVE REVIEWS PLEASE! :D**

**-Static**


	30. Chapter 30

**I wish I could respond to each and every one of my 57 reviews, but I unfortunately have had no time. x.x I write, I post, and then I have so much more stuff to do. Just know that I appreciate each and every bit of feedback! And to those of you showing concerns about my spelling and grammar...yeah, I'm working on that. The most I'm able to write usually happens at around 1 a.m. after a long day of school/scholarship searching. It's a stress-relief thing. I've been meaning to get a proofreader, but...well...yeah...Maybe I'll open up my PM box for volunteers come the next act of this story. ;P Let me know your opinions on this. Review please! :D**

**-Static**

**/*\**

"So even you had to get your hands dirty, Vivi?" Alice asked, as the Queen sat opposite her on her bed in Jabberwocky Tower. A bed tray sat between them, a teapot and two cups resting haphazardly upon the ever shifting surface.

"Indeed, we did." She answered, sipping the lightly bitter beverage, "It was harder than we care to admit. It has been a long time since we have had to use a weapon. We also quite detest the necessity of wearing men's clothes." She growled, and surely, she was not wearing her queenly gown. Vivaldi had dressed herself in a pair of equestrian trousers, a pair of boots in place of heels adorning her feet. She wore a loose white shirt, with a waistcoat fashioned like a corset tied over it, practical, but still modest. Her crown was gone, and her hair had been pulled out of it's elaborate updo into a simple ponytail. Clothes stained with reddish-brown splotches, the Queen looked quite fearsome, even more so than usual.

"Can you tell me more of the storm?" Alice questioned softly, lightly stepping off the bed in hopes of finding her friend something comfortable to sleep in. The girl could hear the amusement in the other woman's voice.

"The men still believe you ignorant of it and it's effects. However, Alice," And when the Dragon turned, she saw the Queen's face turn more serious than it had ever been, "You must do something about it. All of the Ones with Duties have been driven out of their territories." And then even quieter, "Even our brother seeks refuge with you." Alice's face turned grim as she offered up a pink nightgown to her friend for later use,

"I am aware of what I must do." She stated, and then turned to look out the wall of windows. The skies had turned gray, and the wind whipped bitterly against the glass. It looked as though it might rain - water, that is, not corrosive liquid - and the entire room was veiled in both shadow and oppressive tension.

"None of you are going to like it though." She murmured to herself.

/*\

When Julius had decided to talk to Alice a few hours ago, he had not gotten the answer he had wanted.

"I need to ask your Role a question." He stated, and Alice had started in surprise, and then she tilted her head to the side. Her grip on the door loosened, her wings relaxing, and her eyes had momentarily lost focus. She was communicating with it, and then she revised her gaze, once again making eye contact with her friend.

"She grants her permission to ask."

"What is the relationship between her and the Clockmaker?" Once again, Alice was silent, though but for a moment.

"Why do you want to know?" She inquired,

"I was just wondering," He quickly lied, "If our Roles are affiliated, I want to know what they do for each other."

"...Makes sense..." Alice stated, and she "spoke" with the Role one last time. She closed her eyes and scrunched up her eyebrows in concentration, but it appeared as though she was left irritated and confused.

"It said to mind your own business."

"...You told it the one asking _is_ the Clockmaker, right?"

"Yup, it only seemed to make her mad. She says you ought to know already." Judging by the girl's tone of voice, she was starting to get curious. "Why didn't you ask your own Role?" she inquired. Julius shrugged,

"I did. It refused to answer." Alice made a face,

"Weird," she murmured, and Julius had then promptly bade her good evening and apologized for interrupting her sleep. She had nodded - why did she look so forlorn? - and retreated back into the privacy of her bedroom.

For some reason, the Roles did not want to reveal the basis of their affiliation with each other. Asking was definitely the easiest way of doing things, but that evidently was not working. As the Clockmaker walked back through the den into the hallway leading to his room, he mulled over the situation. The fact that Alice had warmed up even more to him over the course of the year she'd been a Role-Holder, the fact that he was able to wake her up from her coma, and now the Role's reluctance to elaborate their association...Julius felt that this might not bode well. He needed information. Fast. Then an idea struck him.

Gowland had been the Amusement Park Owner when the last Jabberwocky had roamed the land.

Perhaps he might know something.

/*\

The Circus workers were nervous, and no matter what sorts of reassurances, promises, or even threats that Joker offered, nothing seemed to remedy the issue. Thus far, the Circus was the only piece of Wonderland that had remained untainted by the Dragon's monstrous creation of a storm. But then, the power wielded by the Jester and Warden was the only power that could rival that of the Jabberwocky.

She could kill the two halves of the entity, sure.

But they would always come back, exactly the same as before.

They had hoped she would come crawling to them for help as the Role slowly ate away at her sanity, but to the Warden's insatiable disappointment, and to the Harlequin's unlimited amusement, she was set on fighting to the bitter end.

And why would she turn to them? There was no way she could know.

No way she could know about the medicine.

/*\

Once Lorina saw all the Role-Holders sitting in the den, her first instinct was to scream and demand to know why Alice's friends were covered in gore. She suppressed this impulse and, clad in her nightclothes, asked if anyone would like tea. All raised their hands.

/*\

Alice, sending Vivi into the den with the others, had made her decision. She knew what needed to be done, but the creature that gave her the power to perform this action, it was less than complacent.

_Why should I help them?_ It demanded, _I want nothing to do with them. Hasn't it occurred to you that, while you want to be the compassionate little fool you are, that maybe I am the way I am for a _reason_?!_

_It has,_ Alice answered, _And I do not care. For the time being, these people have treated me well, and I will not allow that to go unappreciated. You will allow this. _

_I will not._ It snarled, _And you cannot make me._ To this, Alice's eyes narrowed.

_Try me_. She answered, and started to get dressed.

/*\

"Hello everyone," the Dragon spoke as soon as she entered the living space. "I've already heard Vivi's account of what happened. Boris? Twins? Would you like to tell me your story?"

And so the three individuals explained, in far too much detail, the events of the day. The storm had annihilated Clover Tower, which was why Gray, Nightmare and Julius were living with her. Upon looking to the trio for verification, she found that statement to be true. She couldn't help but feel a little irked - she had not known that - but for now she had other priorities. Next she heard that the Amusement Park had been the next to suffer the greatest tragedy.

"...They all turned into monsters," Boris had said, "They said that they were going to kill all the Role-Holders." Then he turned to everyone else in the room. "The Ones with Duties might be more powerful than the faceless by far, but there are what, fourteen of us? Against _thousands_ of them?"

"I defeated an entire army of rebels once," Ace stated, politely setting down his teacup in favor of his flask, "There was at least one thousand clocks to repair. Julius was not happy." He laughed,

"Then I guess that makes twelve, neither the Clockmaker nor the worm can fight." Blood pitched in. Julius glared,

"What makes you think I can't fight?"

"We're getting off-topic here." Alice intervened, just as Nightmare was about to protest, "So let me get this straight, these 'monsters' have taken over all of Wonderland?" She questioned dubiously.

They all wanted to tell her about the storm, and what it was doing, but for some reason, they just couldn't do it. Perhaps it was the need to protect her. She had endured so much, in becoming a permanent fixture in their world. She had already survived so much pain and horror, from her own dimension alone. She did not need the added guilt of knowing that this storm was her fault.

Julius stepped forward, "Alice, there's something I've been meaning to tell you-"

"Wait," Lorina interrupted, "_Where are Charles and father?_"

That's right, they'd been staying with the Mad Hatter, and they were nowhere to be found.

/*\

Upon explaining that he had left them at the mansion - though no specifics were given - Blood was quite lucky that he was not dead.

"So you're telling me," Alice stated, far too calm, "That you've left my father and brother-in-law in a mansion full of bloodthirsty faceless that are no longer faceless?"

"Yes." Blood answered unwaveringly, as if there was absolutely no risk in saying so. Alice merely tilted her head at him, and then the windows exploded, the ten glass panes having heated to unreasonable temperatures in seconds.

"_How could you?!_" She screamed at him, completely ignoring the thirteen other people in the room. "You've left _half_ of my family members to _die!_"

"Wasn't it you who said that you, yourself, wanted to kill your father?" Alice froze. When had she-? Then she recalled her conversation with him at Heart Castle, while she was still recovering. Her eyes narrowed, and her hands balled into fists. Her tail lashed, nearly hitting Gray and Nightmare, and her wings were held tautly.

Blood _really_ had no concept of boundaries, and that was when a far younger voice joined in on the chaos.

"Did you really say that?" Edith asked, horrified, "Did you really say you wanted to _kill papa_?" The look of sheer disappointment, rage, and betrayal, all directed at Alice, well, it was no wonder that the Dragon had lost her mind. Alice turned her gaze back to Blood, and using her tail, bashed him out the window. Afterwards, when the March Hare went to make sure his boss was okay, Lorina started shrieking at Alice. Soon it escalated to a verbal fight, and eventually, Alice snapped.

Lorina had crossed the line, and the moment that Alice had sucked in a breath and stepped backwards, well, they weren't expecting the older girl to be alive much longer. The Dragon's eyes narrowed, and her fists clenched.

"Everyone out!" She demanded, the doors flinging themselves open, and she purposefully strode towards the stairwell leading out of the tower. Upon realizing that no one else was moving, she turned back. Why was no one following?

"Well?" She growled, her pupils slitting. The other Role-Holders were at a loss. They had never seen Alice behave this way, never. Even when she was her angriest, she wouldn't take it out on the bystanders, however they knew not to question her.

They were in her home, and they were no longer welcome, and somehow, that had even come to include her sisters.

/*\

_Are you finally going to do as I say and kill them?_ The voice asked absently,

_Keep dreaming._ Alice snarled back, and she could sense the dragon's puzzlement.

_Then what are you doing? Surely you're not kicking them out and letting them _live_?_

_I am._ She could feel her counterpart's annoyance.

"Leave, now." She stated. Alice would have had more time...had it not been for Edith. Edith did not know the whole story. Being a child, she knew but a fraction of the truth, and it didn't help that Lorina knew little more. Neither were aware of the facts regarding her week-long vacation at the "nunnery", so when her sisters heard that Alice may or may not want to kill their father...

That hadn't exactly ended well.

Like Edith, Lorina had been quite distraught.

"Why would you want to _kill_ father?!" and, "How could you think such horrible things?!" These Alice could deal with, but then Lorina uttered the one line she should not have,

"Mother and I _raised _you better than that."

This insult, Alice could not ignore. Lorina had _no idea_ of the Hell that Alice had been forced to endure by their father, and for the sole reason of ensuring Lorina's happiness. Something that their mother - the one person who had ever truly understood Alice and her peculiarities - would have never allowed. Alice had always prided herself on her patience, but this would not go unpunished. Unwilling to spit out the truth, the girl had forced everyone - even Julius and Ace - down the stairwell out of the tower. Then, using more power than her friends thought to be healthy, she teleported them to the boundaries between the mountains and the other territories. After warping into the mile-long clearing in the trees, she spoke.

"I have something I need to tell you all." She stated,

"And what would that be?" Blood asked, quite irritated. Yes, he had survived the fall from Jabberwocky Tower, and had been teleported alongside everyone else but he was limping heavily. Leaning on Elliot's shoulder, he glared at Alice, and she glared right back.

"I'm going to call the storm to my Tower." She stated simply.

Wait.

How did she know? As though reading the thoughts of her friends, she smiled grimly.

"Come now, surely you don't think me so imbecile as to be unaware of such a destructive force, especially one of my own creation?" The last part was said quite bitterly, though she smiled through each word.

"Men," Vivaldi snorted, morphing her Queen's scepter into a rapier. Ace had little preferences for guns, similarly Vivaldi did not like using firearms as her go-to, and her logic was quite sound. Blades are neither loud nor do they run out of ammunition.

"I am going to summon the 'monsters' to the mountains." Alice stated, "I've already evacuated the sane citizens of my realm. They will divide themselves into groups, and make up the losses at Clover Tower, Hatter Mansion, and Heart Castle. The mad will remain in the mountains under my rule."

"And why should we agree to this?" The Hatter once again intervened, "What's to stop them from crossing the borders and terrorizing the rest of us once more?" He wiped a bit of blood off the side of his face, brown splotches having ruined his white suit. For a moment, Alice smiled at him sadly.

Standing before her was the man she had fallen in love with after being thrown down the rabbit hole. As awful as he had been during her first visit, she was prone to forgiveness even when it might not be such a good idea. He'd been far kinder the second time around, and for a while she had even fantasized about her future with him.

She'd thought about waking up to his face each morning. She'd envisioned the tea parties they would have together, as well as countless meetings with Vivi in the secret garden. She imagined herself with a baby bump, as many of the young married women she knew obtained shortly after catching their husbands. In the highest extreme of her musings, she had even dreamed up a child. A baby girl, with long black hair and wide green eyes, and the most beautiful smile she could conjure. Before he'd changed her life in the most irreparable and unwelcome of ways, that had been exactly what she had wanted. She'd been more than willing to stay for him before he betrayed her and let his selfishness get the better of him. She stepped up to Blood, this man who made her feel so many different things, and tilted her head, studying his face.

"I take back what I said. You do not look like him." Alice stated, and then retreated back to her side of the boundary.

"Here's what's going to happen," She continued, "You asked how I'm going to keep the creatures within my realm, well..." And then rustling was heard, and the monsters themselves emerged from the brush. She turned to her new citizenry, and raised her head.

"The mountains are your new home," her voice boomed over the clearing, where more and more of the beasts arrived, there had to have been nearly ten thousand. "You will take residence in the abandoned homes, and you will not leave."

"Yes, Dragon Queen." They answered in unison, and..._swarmed_ into the space over the boundary. Their numbers were huge, and in spite of their hurry, a circle of space was left untouched. Where the Role-Holders expected to be stampeded to death, each and every one of these things avoided them, running with the utmost grace.

"How do you intend to enforce that order?" Gray questioned, being the first to recover from the shock. Alice smiled grimly,

"Like this." She stated, and then threw Pierce into Ace, who had no trouble catching the mouse.

"Alice, what are you-?!" He was interrupted by Alice waving her hand in the the universal sign for _silence_. She stepped back further into her territory.

"This is goodbye." She said, her voice cracking on the last syllable as she looked over each and every one of her friends. Her two sisters, Boris and Gowland, Elliot and Blood, the Twins, Pierce, Ace and Julius, Nightmare and Gray, Vivi, and to an extent, even Peter. As they all looked up at her with equal amounts of shock and horror, realizing what she intended to do, she smiled at each and every one of them.

"I'm going to miss you all so much." She murmured, and then, using every bit of strength she had she took complete and utter control of her Role. She then used her resulting power resource to create the Wall.

As soon as Alice closed her eyes, a fifty-foot tall wall rose up from the ground. It was constructed perfectly of marble bricks, and stone guards stood atop watchtowers, daring any and all to intrude.

Then thunder sounded, and black clouds dripping acid rain came into view. Before anyone could decide on a plan of action, however, the rain stopped. The clouds parted, and then from each side, crossed into the mountains. From their places, they could see the two halves of the storm converge, and then create what they assumed was a circle. As they retreated to the edge of the trees for a better view, what they saw broke several clocks.

The inky storm had created a funnel cloud, faintly reminiscent of a tornado. The only difference was that it was stationary, and they recognized the location.

The storm had positioned itself around Jabberwocky Tower.

Alice had not only ensured that only her country would take the ruination of the fiery lightning and devastating acid rain, but she also resigned herself to complete and utter isolation.

They knew instinctively that she had completely trapped herself within the heart of the storm.

None of them would ever see her again.

/*\

Wonderland returned to a state of peace. The Vipers had seemingly vanished, their moniker wiped from gambling dens and alleyways. The faceless were no longer forgetting their duties, and Julius had once again hid himself away in his own Tower.

Wonderland was safe.

And the Jabberwocky had not yet had her revenge.

**/*\**

**So! That's it! That's the last chapter! Make no mistake, the story is only starting! There will be a sequel, but in the meantime, I'm going to be writing a few different things. I want to thank each and every single one of you who favorited, followed, reviewed or even just read the first three words of this story. When I started out, I didn't think many would feel all that impressed by my work. The fact that over twenty people saw it fit to follow An Old Role...You guys have no idea how happy that makes me. So thank you! So, so much! On a similar note, there were some reviewers who had a few interesting ideas for what they'd like to see in my writing, and because they were so polite and so nice in their requests, I'm going to do it. Each and every one. The first chapter for the next segment of this story should be up in around two weeks, maybe three if I get more insane school assignments thrown my way. Anyways, let me know what you thought of this ending! Personally, I feel like it leaves something to be desired, but I just have no idea how to make it better. :\ PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS AND LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN IMPROVE! :D**

**-Static**


End file.
